Inconceivable Luck
by AbsterAvery
Summary: She barely survived thirteen stabs to the stomach, so when someone forges a sentence appeal in her name, will she ever see a future away from Wentworth?
1. Chapter I - Home Run

**"Chapter I - Home Run"**

 ***A/N: After a long five hours of conjuring up the first chapter of many to this story, I hope you enjoy***

Bea Smith winced as she adopted an upright position on the bed. Placing a red fleck of her curly hair behind her ear to see no one other than the governor herself, Ms. Bennett. She sighed, knowing that she would be held accountable for her actions two months ago when Joan Ferguson stabbed her thirteen times in the abdomen. What were fresh incisions were now scars; merely surviving the dreadful attack.

All Bea had seen since she was released from the hospital was this bleak cell. She had memorised the colour of the walls. Presented as a pale-grey, they reminded her of the colour of the sky after a thunderstorm. Not like she had even been outside in the last two months apart from her admission into Wentworth. The floor was designated the same colour, and the only applicable furniture was a bed with a mattress like a slate of cement. There was a  
plastic chair of a sky blue colour that reminded her of Allie's eyes. Allie.

Nobody had engaged in conversation with Bea since the incident; she had sunk into a deep depression having been devastated over Allie's death. The last news that she had recieved was that they were going to shut off Allie's life support. She didn't need confirmation but a spec of hope remained inside her.

Actions have consequences and Bea knew that. Vera's punishment for Bea was the fact that she had her placed in protection under medical supervision until she saw her fit to release her back into general. Bea knew she wasn't going to get off lightly. She had lied to the governor, and had nearly cost her her job. Nearly.

"Nurse Radcliffe, if you could excuse us" Vera said, sternly. Her hair had been thrown up into a tight bun, her uniform smartly pressed and creased in all the right places, and looking furious. The nurse rushed out having seen the expression on the governor's face, and wanting to steer clear of her warpath. Bea's brown orbs were suddenly flowing with tears, and Vera couldn't help but feel sympathy.

The strong Bea Smith she once knew was now weak. She had been stabbed, drowned, beaten up countless times, and Vera suddenly wondered if this woman could take anymore. All the anger she had now was gone. She almost felt affection for Smith having seen how much she had suffered during her time at Wentworth.

Vera dragged the blue chair and sat on it and Bea looked away at the wall with tears in her eyes. The silence remained eerie until Vera began to speak. "I don't need to ask you why you did that and I don't expect an explanation" Vera stated, pulling a tissue out of her blazer and handing it to Bea. She took the tissue and wiped her eyes with it. "I don't want to be here anymore. Not without Allie" Bea said, her voice so small that it came out like a whisper.

Vera was surprised by the confession but also deeply saddened by it. Bea Smith was struggling, and she is now a shadow of her former self. Vera looked down at her shoes, and was a bit taken aback by what to say. Bea broke the silence. "I figured I'd end my own suffering by taking the Freak down with me. She was never going to go down for Allie's murder" Bea said, a fresh flow of tears running down her face.

Vera nodded. She understood. She admired Bea's bravery, but was still not satisfied that she almost killed herself in the process. She didn't even need to ask Smith why she didn't take the phone with her and get the confession from Ferguson. Part of her agreed with Smith; she was going to be set free without any repercussions for her crimes.

"I must ask a favour of you, Smith" Vera stated, now looking up at Bea. She had bags under her eyes after seemingly months of crying and feeling very depressed. Bea nodded towards Vera, gesturing her to continue. "Over these few months, I have found out through an anonymous source that Mr. Stewart was supplying inmates with drugs. I need you to say that he let you out of the prison grounds" she finished, taking a gulp after finishing her statement, wondering what the faded redhead's response would be.

Bea took a moment before speaking quietly. "Why should I help you?" Bea supposed. Vera was agitated by her response and stood up. "Because I helped you out two months ago when you went on a kamikaze mission. I think you owe me one" Vera announced. Bea scoffed, although she could see the anger building up in Vera's eyes. "Fine" Bea finally uttered. Vera smiled and began to walk out of the door before she conveyed one final thing to the inmate. "I think you'll find a sufficient reward waiting for you" she grinned as she walked out.

After a quick check-up from the nurse, two detectives came into her cell by the name of Mackintosh and Davidson. They looked like twins, they were both tall and lean men with black trench coats and bald heads. Bea smirked internally when they walked into her cell. "Ms. Smith, very nice to meet you" Davidson said as he offered his hand out and introduced himself and his colleague. "I'm sure I will not need to explain why we are here" Mackintosh stated, giving Bea a small smile. She nodded shyly in return.

After a few brief moments of the detectives flicking through their folders and revising the information that had been given to them by their superiors, they finally spoke to Bea. "So Ms. Smith, you were questioned obviously before and your statement is as follows. A guard, who you left un-named, let you out with the intention of getting a confession from Joan Ferguson that she was the one that induced a lethal dose of heroin to Ms. Allie Novak - correct?" Mackintosh recited. Bea nodded, pushing more curls of her hair away from her face.

"That leads us to the million dollar question. Which guard, Ms. Smith?" Davidson enquired, expecting no answer from the prisoner. "Mr. Stewart" Bea replied bluntly. Mackintosh was surprised by the confession, however Davidson was intrigued as he wiped his brow and conscientiously decided to push further. "What was his incentive to let you out, Bea?" quizzed Davidson. Bea took in a deep breath and replied "he wanted to get rid of Ferguson. He gave her the drugs and knew she was a loose end. He knew that I would be more than willing to put her away, and it all went bad from there" she declared. Davidson rushed to scribble down the notes. Mackintosh was trying to read Bea to look for any lies and he had a hunch.

"In the CCTV, there is a weapon. It is unclear, however the only shot we can see is where Joan Ferguson wielded it and then proceeded to stab you with it. Can you confirm that you were not the one to bring the screwdriver?" he asked. "Yes" she replied curtly. He nodded and looked over to Davidson who smiled at Bea and closed his folder with his notes. "Thank you Ms. Smith. We will contact you again if your assistance is required anymore" he said as he stood up and left the room.

"Novak for you, governor" Linda Miles said as she opened the door and let the blond-haired inmate take a pace inside. Vera was sat in her office chair looking at the files regarding the stabbing incident and peered over to Miss Miles, nodding in appreciation. "Thank you, Miss Miles. Take a seat, Novak" she said, as Allie did what she was told. "I take it this is an update on Bea then" Allie smirked as she looked at the governor. "Mm, yes it is. She is not aware you are alive Novak, so your presence may be a shock to her. I have had a meeting with her trauma consultant and he thinks that she will be able to handle the shock of seeing you alive. It'll be a nice surprise" Vera smiled.

Allie returned the favour and beamed. "When will she be coming back into H1?" she interrogated. Vera braced and stared at her computer before speaking. "It'll be after dinner, tomorrow. I trust that you will notify the rest of the H1 inhabitants" Vera said, looking back at Allie. Allie rubbed her hands on her thighs before standing up and walking towards the door, pushing a lock of her blonde hair out of her face. "Thank you, Ms. Bennett" she grinned as Linda Miles took her back to H1.

Bea stared at the ceiling from her bed, bored out of her mind. She sat up again, and winced. Her abdomen was still very painful, but the pain medication was doing its best to dull it. It was mainly her insides that hurt, not the exterior injuries. Bridget Westfall, the Wentworth Prison psychiatrist came in with Franky Doyle, a former prisoner and one of Bea's best friends. The pair both beamed at Bea, happy to see her alive. "Nice to see ya, Red" Franky voiced, bringing in the redhead for an embrace. Bea was glad to see her and gave her a small smile. "You're being released back into general. The nurse is pleased with your progress and she will give you some advice how to tend for your wounds" she declared.

Bea smiled at Bridget. She was kind, for a prison psychologist at least. "I'll just be glad to be out of this cell" Bea stated. "Can you walk?" Franky enquired, quirking a brow. Bea swung her legs off the bed and placed them on the floor, slowly standing up. She took a few small paces before being able to walk at a regular pace, a little bit slower than normal. "I'll tell the nurse you won't need walking aid" Bridget said, gesturing her hand towards the door. "The girls are waiting for you" Franky winked before she left the room with Bridget.

Allie and the girls of H1 had spent all day making sure that Bea's cell was perfect. She had the floors mopped, cleaned her mirror and sink, placed the sheets on the bed including her red blanket which brought back memories of the first time they made love. The thought made Allie smile, but as it dawned towards Bea's arrival, she grew increasingly nervous as Bea thought she was dead. She focused back, putting all of her possessions back into the correct places before standing in Bea's doorway, nodding to the rest of H1.

Since Allie had recovered from the hot shot, she had rekindled her relationship with Kaz and had cemented an agreement that nobody was to touch Bea when she was released back into general. Allie didn't concern herself with the crew anymore, however, Kaz still saw her as her daughter, and therefore treated her like it. Kaz made a rare appearance into H1 with the rest of the Hand crew, who had managed to sneak in a couple bottles of liquor. "For your queen. She's safe as long as I'm top dog, kiddo" Kaz smiled at Allie before bringing her in for a hug. "Thanks Kaz" Allie spoke, happy to see that her adoptive mother had adhered to her promise. The Red Right Hand girls made themselves scarce in preparation for Bea's arrival.

The girls of H1 were practically jumping up an down with excitement. They'd all got her a present; Maxine had managed to draw her a vase of flowers, just like Bea did for her when she recovered from her operation, Boomer got her two packets of her favourite biscuits, Monte Carlos'. Liz and Doreen pitched together to get her five bars of chocolate, and Allie had got her a bouquet of white rose flowers, and a matching seahorse necklace that she had managed to sneak in. Allie was so nervous that she could've passed out, she had no idea what to expect from Bea but all she knew is that she was coming, and very soon.

Bea was escorted back to H1 by Mr. Jackson who had offered to take her. He updated her on all of the things that she had missed out on while being stuck to solitary medical confinement for the last two months, telling her of how Ferguson was being held in Uxbridge Psychiatric Facility for a proper evaluation. In other words, she was never going to be a free woman again. He also told her something she already knew; Kaz had stepped up as top dog and her alliance with Tina Mercado. When he finished his speech, they finally turned the corner into H1, where Bea stood still and found herself that she could not move.

Bea smiled as she saw the rest of her H1 crew, but felt destroyed as Allie wasn't there. She was heartbroken, and this was like rubbing salt into a wound. "We've missed you so much, love" Liz beamed, a small tear running down Bea's face. Everybody was so emotionally happy to see Bea back. "Missed ya Bea. Kaz is contesting for top dog with Sonia now" Boomer voiced, Bea surprised. "How?" Bea questioned. "She's teamed up with Juice and a crew from D Block" Boomer replied, handing her the biscuits. Bea placed all her presents and thanked her friends, but she couldn't believe her eyes when the best present anybody could've got her was standing in front of the couch at the back of the hallway, holding a small box and a bouquet of white roses.

Time seemed to stand still and she had the biggest smile of her life displayed on her face for everyone to see. "ALLIE!" Bea practically screamed as she walked as fast as she can to see the love of her life. Tears streaming down her face, she hugged onto Allie as tightly as she could. She was so overwhelmed, she was almost hyperventilating. "They told me you were dead" Bea sobbed into Allie's shoulder and Allie stroked her hair, so happy to be reunited once more. "No, I'm very much alive Bea Smith" she said as she pulled Bea back to rest her head on her forehead and look into those gorgeous brown orbs. "I ca..can't believe it" she grinned, tears still streaming down her face and she leaned in to kiss Allie. Allie responded in kind, pressing her lips against Bea's passionately. Bea had never felt so complete.

"Oi..stop it you two. We're gonna get pissed!" Boomer shouted. Bea and Allie giggled at each other, Bea still dumbfounded. "What was that, Jenkins?" Linda Miles asked, H1 oblivious that it was the evening count. "Uh, I said your gonna get pissed if we aren't standing by our doorways" Boomer smartly correct herself. "Move it, ladies" Miles ordered as the girls all headed to their doorways. Bea was surprised to see her room freshly cleaned and knew it was all Allie's doing as she gave her that wink that made her weak at the knees. She still couldn't believe it, even when Allie's surname was called on the roll call.

After the count was finished, they all sat down as a unit and told Bea absolutely everything that she had been missing. Allie was sat down on the couch as Bea's head was led in her lap. Boomer, Liz, Maxine and Doreen all sat around the table, sharing the liquor that Kaz's crew had given them. Bea was surprised that Kaz had even agreed to protect her but she couldn't even feel sad about being so weak when she had Allie here. Allie was here, Allie was alive. Joan Ferguson truly had lost and Bea couldn't feel any better to be alive. After two hours of heavy drinking, excluding the reunited couple and Liz, they called it a night. Allie and Bea retreated to Bea's cell where they got dressed into their pyjamas and led on the bed talking.

"I missed you so much, no words can explain" Bea beamed, the smile not fading one bit. Allie returned the favour and caressed Bea's face, pulling her in for an intimate kiss. As the kiss deepened, Allie pulled back, realising she needed to speak about the elephant in the room. "Does your stomach hurt?" Allie questioned. Bea's smile fading a little bit, realising she was going to have to tell Allie the extent of her injuries. "Not as much no, but my insides still kill and little tasks are a bit harder for me" Bea confessed, seeming a little bit more depressed. "I don't want you to see them" Bea also confessed, feeling very self conscious. She didn't want to show Allie because she didn't want Allie to think less of her or not want her anymore. It scared Bea so much, and Allie had come to the realisation of this.

Allie pulled Bea's top over her head and gestured for her to lie on the bed. Bea reluctantly complied as Allie looked at her stomach. There was one large, red incision, almost angry that stuck out the most. It looked painful as there were numerous other small incisions. Allie could read Bea like a book, she was so self conscious. Allie knew she had to plan her next move carefully, and she didn't want to push Bea too far. Allie placed herself on top of Bea and moved up the bed to kiss her. As their kiss got more erratic, Allie grabbed her hair at the back of her neck to pull her in more. She started slowly moving her hands over the redhead, past her shoulders and down her arms. Bea felt more comforted by Allie's presence now as she studied her reaction as she looked at the scars.

Allie looked back at Bea and smirked. "You look hot as hell...even with the scars" Allie chirped as she moved lower down the bed so that her head was hovering over Bea's stomach. Allie leaned down to lick the scars and massage them with her warm hot tongue, all while looking at Bea whilst doing so. Bea could see no bluff in Allie's eyes and could not believe how lucky she was to have someone as accepting and caring as her. As Allie continued to lick the scars on Bea's stomach, she was becoming more increasingly worked up, and Allie realised that Bea needed rest and that she was not stronger for anything else yet. She pulled herself up so that her forehead was resting on the redhead's before she spoke. "We'll work on getting you better first, yeah?" Allie voiced, a small smile given to Bea.

Bea nodded and returned the favour before giving her one deep kiss. Allie pulled herself off Bea as she grabbed her shirt to give it back to Bea. Bea put it back on with Allie's help before the two got underneath the covers as the redhead snuggled into her. Bea inhaled the scent that is distinctly Allie; one more thing into believing that this is actually real and isn't a dream. She slightly giggled before snuggling even further into her, as the pair both fell asleep in each others arms after two long months of being apart.


	2. Chapter II - Moving Forward

**Chapter II - Moving Forward**

 ***A/N: I was very lucky to be able to write this chapter up today, however this story will not be getting updated frequently (maybe once a week). I hope you enjoy my new chapter to this lovely story***

The golden sun rays glistened through the bars on the crystal clear window. Bea was awake, a smile on her face like a child on Christmas morning. Yesterday had been like Christmas, and they gave her the best present she could've ever wished for; Allie being alive. Bea was unconsciously stroking Allie's ribs with the tips of her fingertips, not realising that it had made the younger woman awake. Bea finally broke the beautiful silence with a deafly quiet whisper "Good morning, beautiful" she said as she gave Allie a quick smile. Allie meanwhile, had had the best sleep in over two months since the incident of where Joan Ferguson gave her a hot shot. "Hey babe" Allie stirred as she brought her hands up to caress Bea's face. Bea's smile grew even bigger at the interaction as they both stared into each others eyes. Silently, they were both reflecting on all of the events that had happened over the last two months and it was unbelievable how they had both pulled through.

Bea's smile faded slightly as she realised that she needed to know more about the Freak. She needed to know if she was safe, if Allie was safe. "Allie" Bea began, Allie's head perking up ever so slightly as she heard that sexy, raspy voice recite her name. "What actually happened with the Freak? When I was gone?" Bea questioned with a low tone. Allie's smile slightly disappeared as she cleared her throat. "We heard the Freak had stabbed you. They never told me anything, I was, am still recovering from that fucking hot-shot she gave me. You know I never did that to myself right?" Allie interrogated, her tone turning serious as she couldn't even bare for one minute if Bea thought that she would ever do that to herself in a million years after she made that promise to her. "I never had any doubts" Bea smiled, her smile glinting in the beautiful rays that were projecting into the cell.

Allie grinned before continuing answering Bea's question. "They told me when I was at least stable. Well no, Maxine told me after one of her chemotherapy sessions. I was devastated and I only found out a month ago because I was in too much of a critical state to be notified that you may, or may not make it alive. Bridget Westfall gave me updates on your progress, and I assume they never told you that I pulled through. I have to thank those defibrillators for that cos' I went into cardiac arrest" Allie scoffed. Bea smiled, eternally grateful for her being alive, in front of her breathing, in front of her smiling. "I was sent back to Wentworth about a month ago and dragged straight into the governor's office who updated me on the situation. She told that Ferguson had nervous breakdown and how you had managed to outsmart her so many times, and that you were her ultimate nemesis and she had been defeated" Allie laughed lightly. Bea returned the favour before commenting.

"She sounds like a 16th century scholar. I'm glad that fucking psychopath has been put away though" Bea beamed before stroking Allie's face and giving her a quick peck on the forehead before pulling back. "Now we can start our life babe. In prison" Allie giggled, Bea amazed at how optimistic and how light Allie made everything in the world seem to be. Bea was pretty sure she'd never been this happy in her entire life apart from when Debbie was alive, but even then, in a prison? Of all places? Bea didn't care about the past, she cared about the present. Bea's smile faded before she realised that she needed to be truly open with Allie and confess some things to her. She had promised.

"Allie, I promised I would never keep anything from you ever again. So I'm not going to" Bea stated, Allie nodding in understanding. Allie was a bit nervous for about her lover was going to confess to her, however her primal instincts told her that it should be something that she should manage in a mature and respective manner. She knew it was going to be serious. "The first thing is, I'm really fucking self conscious about these scars. I hate them; they're just a terrible and shitty reminder about how that demented bitch almost ruined my life and killed me. They make me feel not me anymore, like I'm a monster. I just don't want to make you feel unco-" Bea was stopped in the middle of her sentence by a pair of plump lips pressing against hers. Bea just melted into the kiss. She loved it; Allie could just make her forget about all her problems in two seconds.

They held onto the kiss for a few seconds, their tongues roaming each others mouths as Allie dominated the kiss. Allie pulled back before grinning and speaking to Bea, holding Bea's head up by the chin. "You listen here. I don't give a fuck whether your made of scars? You know why? Because I love you. You're beautiful, inside and out, and the scars are apart of you, and the fact how you've been through so much shit for me just makes me love you even more, so don't" Bea tried cutting Allie off but she wasn't having any of it as she swatted Bea away. "Don't you ever fucking think I don't want you because it'll never happen" Allie smiled, leaning in for another quick embrace. Bea smiled, happy that she had that problem over with, but she was sub-conscious of time, and had to speak to Allie about one final problem before they started getting ready for the day.

"Does it bother you. My life sentence?" Bea questioned. Allie sighed and decided that she would be honest with Bea. She had been thinking about it a lot recently. "I think that yeah, it's shit that your in here of life and I think you are worthy of a second chance. I really wish that me and you could have a future outside of here, and I am happy as shit right now, happier than I've ever been and that shouldn't really happen in a prison" Allie giggled before continuing. "But I think that we should deal with it when the time comes. I just can't fucking wait to spend the next ten years with you" Allie grinned. Bea smiled at the thought, but grew internally depressed when she realised that she would never see a future outside these walls. It destroyed her, and it destroyed her even more knowing that Allie would have a future outside of here without her, but Bea knew in her heart of hearts that it would be selfish of her if she wouldn't let Allie go.

With that thought, the call for morning count was relayed throughout the prison. Allie groaned as she got up out of the bed, and winked at Bea as she made her way over to her own cell to get changed into the correct prison teal garb. Bea decided to follow suit and get changed into her long sleeved white shirt with her teal t-shirt over the top. She leaned over the sink as she stared at herself in the mirror, the first time she had in months. In all honestly, she looked better. Yeah she still looked like shit with the dark rings under her eyes, but what she was most concerned about was her hair. It was barely red anymore, showing that she was a figure of her old self. She decided that she was going to make an effort and do something about it, when she was interrupted by Linda Miles gawking at her. Bea moved straight to her doorway before getting a frown from Smiles.

After breakfast and the many stares that came with it, Bea was called in by the governor herself, Ms. Bennett. Vera had notified her to know that Mr. Stewart had now been suspended pending investigation, and as a result, she was suspended from work duty for a month, only allowed to carry out the class that taught fellow inmates how to cut and style hair. Bea nodded in appreciation, very thankful for the work suspension. Bea couldn't be angry at Vera for keeping her in isolation for two months; she knew that she went against her word and therefore understood Vera's anger and knew it was for her own safety and in her best interest that she was kept in isolation away from the inmates in general population until she was stable enough to handle it.

Bea made her way back to her cell where she met with Maxine and updated her with the news. Maxine gave her that same endearing and caring smile that she always gave Bea, before they made their way to the class. After an hour and a half of showing the inmates how to co-ordinate a simple hair colouring by using one of the inmates for D Block as an example and then letting the inmates practise it on each other, the class was closed. However, Bea needed to ask Maxine a favour before they cleaned up. "Maxi...I have a favour" Bea induced, speaking quietly, and being nervous for some odd reason. "Yeah, what is it love?" Maxine asked innocently.

Allie had been at work all day, mopping floors and cleaning mirrors. She was just glad that she was able to get off lunch duty as Soz had offered to do her work. She got in the line to see what they were serving, and it seemed to be spaghetti bolognese. Allie lapped her plate up with a reasonable portion, being able to eat more and more as she went from strength to strength every day. She may appear that she had fully recovered, but the long term damage was still there; she just did a very good job of concealing it. Allie went to sit down in her normal seat at the H1 table, noticing Sonia sitting at the head of the table of D Block, accompanied by Juice and her boys. Sonia gave an evil glare towards Allie which was noticed by Kaz. The fierce blonde immediately stood up and walked over to the woman who she considered to be her daughter and informed her that she wanted to meet Bea in the library after lunch. Allie just nodded in agreement, getting a quick wink from Kaz as she left the mess hall.

Suddenly, the whole mess hall went quiet. Everybody just stood gawking at the muscled redhead who had obviously just had her hair freshly re-dyed and shaved as she wore it up in that high ponytail that made Allie drool. Allie was flabbergasted, and Bea smirked, obviously seeing the reaction on everyone's face but most importantly Allie's. Out of nowhere, someone had started a chant. Within a time capacity of thirty seconds, everyone in the mess hall except Sonia's table had beginning chanting "Queen Bea, Queen Bea!" before being told to shut up by Will Jackson. The inmates remained obedient but appeared to be happy at Bea's arrival and her new appearance. The hall descended into reasonable chatter and Bea and Maxine went up to get their food and sat down at their table, Allie's mouth having dropped so much you could fit a tennis ball into it and not touch a tooth.

"You okay, babe?" Bea smirked as she looked at Allie. Allie laughed before saying "I thought you couldn't get any hotter. Guess you've just proved me wrong" Allie grinned at Bea. Bea blushed at the compliment, her face flushing the same colour as her hair, before she looked down and began eating her meal. Bea had only managed to eat the first wad of spaghetti before Allie placed her hand on Bea's forearm, unintentionally sending electric shocks down Bea's body. Sometimes she was so oblivious to the effect she had on Bea, that it agitated her. "Kaz told me that you need to go to the library after this" Allie said, seriously. "Did she seem annoyed or anything?" Bea quizzed, nervously. She really couldn't deal with any of the drama, it was her second day back into some sort of order and civilisation and she really couldn't deal with another two months of isolation. Allie shook her head. "Go. I think it'll be good for you. You two need to sort things out anyway" Allie said before giving Bea a quick peck on the cheek before picking up her tray and making herself scarce.

Bea waddled nervously to the library but exhaled deeply when she saw only Kaz there, standing in a democratic sort of pose. Bea was about to quiz Kaz about why she was here but Kaz gestured her to come forward so that Kaz would be able to speak in a low and quiet manner so that only the two of them could her. Obviously what she wanted to talk about was quite serious. "I just want to forget the past" Kaz stated, exhaustedly. She was fed up of being angry with Bea, and Allie had made her realise that she was stronger with Bea than without her and making her an enemy which Kaz had found hard to accept as the truth. Bea nodded in agreement and held her hand out. Kaz shook it in unison, glad that that was out of the way. "You heard about Sonia's uprising or so she calls it?" Kaz scoffed, mocking Sonia. "Yeah" Bea replied bluntly, not knowing the full story and only being told Boomer's account of things.

"The women still hold respect for you, per that canteen show. Sonia will see it as a threat, how you have support from the women" Kaz admitted, and Bea came to realise that she was right. Bea suddenly became defensive. "I don't want anything to do with the top dog position" Bea blurted in honesty. Kaz nodded, suspecting this was the case. "The women are practically endorsing you for top dog, so Sonia will be on the look-out. I can handle Sonia, just as long as you endorse me as the top dog so that you won't be targeted" Kaz spoke, Bea nodding in agreement before pushing one of her red curls away from her face. "I'll announce it at evening meal" Bea articulated. Kaz smiled and patted Bea on the shoulder before whispering one final thing to her before she left the library. "I'm glad your back Bea, for Allie's sake" she whispered, the comment making Bea smile before she too left the library.

"Alright ladies, listen up" Bea recited as she entered the mess hall, Kaz to her left, Maxine to her right. "It's been unclear since I've been away who is actually top dog now. I've come here to clear that up" Bea shouted before the mess hall descended into quiet whisper and conversation engagement before all turning to Bea to listen who she was endorsing as top dog. "Kaz is now top dog. You listen to her, do as she says. The top dog mantle is nothing to do with me anymore" Bea stated, happy to have made it clear to the women that she was no longer their problem, and glad that she had handed the stress of being top dog to someone who she thought could handle it, for the meantime. A few claps went around the mess hall but it was mainly a silent reaction. Bea went down to go and collect her meal which was a tuna pasta bake, before sitting down next to the love of her life at the H1 table. Allie smiled at her, proud for doing that and proud of her and Kaz admitting their differences and at least being civil.

At the table was Bea, Allie, Liz, Doreen, Boomer and Maxine. All of the women were engaging in small talk whilst eating their meal, Bea not really getting herself concerned with the topic of conversation before Maxine asked her a serious and stern question which she paid attention to. "Bea love, what are we going to do if Sonia's crew make a move on Kaz?" Maxine quizzed, wanting to know their stance between this feud with Kaz and Sonia. Bea took a moment to respond. "We're staying out of it. No shit from anyone then" Bea stated, not wanting her family to get into more trouble than it was worth. They had already been through enough. Boomer was about to disagree with Bea before Bea placed her fingers on Boomer's lips already knowing the response. "If you want to kick some heads in, go join Kaz's crew. I'm sure she'll find use for you" Bea said, sharply. Boomer realised Bea was right and knew that as much as she wanted to go bunta on someone's arse, she knew better to keep her head down for the rest of her sentence if she wanted to get parole.

Apart from Bea's announcement, evening meal was uneventful. Bea made her way back to the unit before taking a chair at the table in the hallway before beginning to sketch. This time, it was going to be about the feud between Kaz and Sonia. She had just started to draw Sonia's face when Allie came in with a grin from ear to ear, before taking a seat across from Bea, knowing better than to sit next to her after the news she was about to break her. "I just spoke to someone at the visitors. Franky Doyle?" Allie smirked as Bea perked her head up at the name, going red instantly with embarrassment and anger. "What the hell is she doing visiting you?" Bea interrogated fiercely. Allie's smirk got even bigger when she saw Bea's reaction. "Oh she just told me some things about you. I'm gonna say one that's gonna make you flip" Allie giggled. Boomer tried to but in the conversation but Allie knew better than to tell her something that Bea was a bit personal about.

"McMuff tastes like chicken" Allie snorted, barely able to contain her laughter. Bea was infuriated with embarrassment. At that point, she slammed her notebook down that had a fresh drawing in and proceeded to chase Allie around the table. Finally catching up to her, she tickled Allie until she submitted, the two both ending up with grins from ear to ear on one another's face. Bea's stomach was aching more than usual from laughing so much, but at that point, it just made her realise how lucky she was to have came out alive, and be able to hold Allie again in her arms. The thought just made her smile. As the evening proceeded on, the girls of H1 engaged in a game of cards which resulted in Boomer laughing and Allie making discreet sexy comments to Bea. They decided to crack open the liquor left from last night, and even Bea and Allie decided that they were going to have a bit. Liz refrained from drinking as she was still recovering from alcohol. Bea took a moment to sit around the couch, just thankful for the position that fate had put her in. A place of happiness.


	3. Chapter III - Remnants of the Past

**Chapter III - Remnants of the Past**

 ***A/N: I've been very lucky to have enough time on my hands but this story is unfortunately not going to be as updated as I have been doing. Sorry!***

After the social time commenced by the girls in H1, they decided to call it a night. Bea gave her that sexy side eye that made Allie squirm as she left the couch to go to bed, the blonde invited herself into redhead's cell. Almost expecting her, Bea stood leaning against the wall giving Allie the sexiest smirk she had ever seen. Allie closed the door behind her and also shot a smirk at the redhead, closing up the space between them. Allie placed her hands on Bea's hips before bringing her in for a passionate kiss that was reciprocated from Bea as a moan escaped her lips. As she let Allie dominate the kiss, she heard Boomer's loud commentary outside of the cell, Allie pulling back laughing hysterically as Bea fumed with embarrassment, digging her neck into Bea's shoulder.

"I swear to god Maxi, 48 hours and they're already going at it and they aren't even willing to give us a show. It's fucking selfish" Boomer outraged in jealousy that she wasn't able to watch the action. Bea wanted to quiz why Boomer wanted to watch as she claimed herself to be a heterosexual woman but the thought of the gross detailed responses to the question was enough to make Bea throw up. Maxine giggled as she knocked on the door and apologised for Boomer's behaviour "Daz isn't doing his job right" Maxine chirped hysterically as she led her very loud friend away from Bea's cell. After the embarrassment declined, Bea pulled back from Allie's shoulder and stared into those gorgeous sky-blue eyes that were the most darling eyes Bea had ever seen.

Allie reciprocated the favour and stared into those caring and loving brown orbs that Bea possessed. They stood in silence for a short while, gazing into each other's eyes with an undeniable passion and an undeniable burning affection for one another. Bea was the one to break the silence. "Allie...I-" Bea stopped; she didn't know how to make the words come out without making herself seem vulnerable. Allie cupped her face, understanding the hesitance but wanting her lover to continue. Bea decided to bite the bullet and keep to her promise.

"I...the scars. I am really self conscious because of the scars and I can't do anything with you because of how weak, I am health wise. And I'm going to need a lot of help with the most basic of things. I...I don't want to be a burden to you or want you to get bored" Bea confessed, a small tear escaping her eyes as she came to the realisation that she was going to need help because of the extent of her injuries. Allie knew that Bea was going to need help and whether that meant refuting from doing anything sex-wise, Allie knew that she was going to have to comply. Bea needed her now more than ever, not that Bea would ever admit that of course. Allie just nodded before replying in a low tone "I know, and I'm here for you. And I will never" Allie paused as she lifted up Bea's chin "..ever get bored of you, okay? No matter how many times I have to say it to you" Allie smiled lightly. Bea nodded before the two embraced for a short while.

That night, Allie understood that she was to pressurise Bea as least as possible. She wanted to be able to give her the best opportunity at recovery and therefore knew that she was going to have to comply with whatever Bea's wishes were in order to do that. They climbed into bed, the same as the night before and just spend the night talking, every now and then kissing passionately. Bea knew she couldn't do much more than that as much as she wanted to because she simply did not have the energy for it. She loved Allie even more for being so understanding, and honoured her for the fact that she had stayed with Bea through the thick and thin. As much as Allie can say it wasn't Bea's fault, she felt guilty for the things that had happened to her because of Bea. But even with this, Allie kept Bea as her top priority.

Bea could see her. She could smell her breath, hot on her face as Ferguson stabbed her with the screwdriver multiple times. She could see Allie, nearly at Ferguson's feet having met the same similar fate that Bea was going to meet after bleeding to death. The wicked smirk on her face and the blood on her fingers. Bea was drifting in and out of consciousness before she heard Ferguson say "I win" but instead of it being the Freak's voice, it was her own. She saw Allie breathing her last breaths as she saw her love die in front of her face. Bea screamed internally before drifting out of consciousness.

"NO!" Bea heard herself screaming as she fought back her heart rate which had sky-rocketed. She was sweating buckets and in a state of hysteria. Allie woke up with a jolt at Bea's voice, wondering immediately what was up. "Bea, Bea, what's wrong?" Allie interrogated, worried out of her mind. Bea was obviously delusional, and Allie could fit the pieces together like a jigsaw. Bea had woken up with a post-traumatic stress disorder flashback of Ferguson. "She killed Allie!" Bea yelled, tears streaming down her face. Bea was obviously torn half in half between the flashback and reality, and she had obviously not realised Allie was next to her, and must've thought her voice was a figure of her imagination.

"Bea, I'm here" Allie said soothingly. Bea looked to her right and the shock disappeared from her face when she came to the realisation that she was just having a bad dream. This sudden episode had made Allie realise that even though Bea had physical scars, the mental scars would take longer to heal. She was so destroyed when she saw Bea in floods of tears. She calmed her and soothed her by sitting up straight and placing Bea's head in her lap and stroking her forehead. Bea had calmed down almost instantly under Allie's touch, and Maxine came by the cell wondering what had caused the racket. She saw the expression on Allie's face and knew instantly what had happened. She was very good at reading people.

"I'm sorry" Bea sobbed as she lay with her head in Allie's lap and gazed at the blonde. "You've got nothing to be sorry about" Allie replied with a smile, wiping the tears that were coming from Allie's eyes. A short silence made an appearance before Bea admitted "You didn't sign up for this". Allie took a moment to respond. "I knew what I was signing up for the minute I met you. And I don't regret it one bit" she smirked, looking at Bea. Bea smiled for a short while before Allie brushed the red curls away from her face.

Excluding the mentioning and explanation of last night, the H1 inmates had an uneventful morning by finishing breakfast with no confrontation, much to Bea's delight. Without the top dog mantle, she could just focus on getting better and part of her was thankful that Kaz had taken the reigns, whether or not she was capable or not. Bea did not see it as her problem anymore. She knew that Kaz would protect them, even though the H1 crew was staying out of the civil feud between Kaz and Sonia. Gossip had spread round that day that Sonia was making plans and Kaz's paranoia got the better of her, inviting Allie and Bea round to a meeting after evening count.

Allie had offered to take Bea for a shower whilst the rest of the women were at work. The governor agreed - she knew Bea needed an incentive to get better and Allie Novak was that. After Bea's favour, Vera decided she was going to pull out all the stops, within reason, to make sure that Smith recovered fully and was able to take on the top dog mantle again. That's what she hoped and assumed Bea would do. Vera didn't trust Proctor enough for she was easily manipulated, and everyone could see that.

As Bea and Allie approached the showers, getting some odd looks in the corridors as they were wearing matching robes with slightly different colours. As Allie happily stripped down nude, Bea needed some assistance, still wincing at the pain in her stomach. As Allie turned the temperature for Bea so that it was just right, she left Bea to shower alone until Bea made a bold request. "Come with me" Bea smirked, obviously her confidence had protruded, and Allie was not complaining. Allie joined her as the two joined lips and their tongues danced in delight in each others mouths. Allie's hands ran down the sides of Bea's body, from the joint of her hips to the sides of her breasts.

Bea gasped ever so slightly, a movement recognised by Allie as she internally smirked as she brushed her hands over her breasts to bring her in at the nape of her neck to deepen the kiss. Bea responded in kind, repeating the same things that Allie had done to her just a minute ago, getting the exact same response. Allie knew at that point that she wasn't going to push things further; she knew that Bea needed to be introduced back into it with ease and with a happy ending; not like last time when the two of them nearly died.

Allie smiled before grabbing the bottle of shampoo and squirting it onto her hands. She then turned Bea around and massaged it gently into her hair. She thoroughly enjoyed it, Bea's moans spurring her on to continue what she was doing. As she washed out the shampoo, she also grabbed some flecks of conditioner from the bottle and continued the same actions as before; rubbing slowly at the scalp before satisfyingly rubbing the mixture into the strands of hair whilst her fingertips stroked her scalp. Washing it out thoroughly, she grabbed some body wash for Bea, and began to softly and tenderly rub it on her lovers arms, to her shoulders and halfway up her neck.

Strategically planning, she had the mixture on her hands before placing both of her hands down her chest, rubbing the body wash into both of her breasts. Bea was thoroughly enjoying it, and immediately pressed her lips against Allie's. As Allie continued massaging and caressing her breasts, she started moaning at the interaction, Allie quite happy with the responses she was getting. She decided to make a bold move and decided to rub Bea's nipple between her thumb and forefinger, arousing Bea who was already turned on by Allie's actions. After this teasing, Allie continued to place the body wash all over Bea's body, but allowing Bea some privacy as she did all the areas below her hips, Allie knowing better than to excite her.

After the shower, the two stood, towels wrapped around each other, kissing for a good five minutes before they were rudely interrupted by Sonia and her new crew. Allie and Bea decided to keep their heads down and got dressed in silence. They grabbed their stuff quickly and wanted to make themselves scarce as soon as possible before Sonia stood at the entrance of the door. "The fall of a dictator can come at severe consequences, it is those who put their knowledge of the political system to their new leaders that makes them the targets" Sonia announced, smiling wickedly at Bea, and Bea knowing exactly what she was insinuating. Bea scarcely left and Allie was following quickly behind; they needed to tell Kaz.

After bribing Smiles, the fierce blonde awaited her adoptive daughter and her ex arch-nemesis' arrival. Kaz dawned on how much had actually happened in the last six months - her being sent to prison and being sentenced to 12 years, falling out with Allie before rekindling their relationship and Kaz finally finding out that Joan Ferguson was responsible for her arrest. Suddenly, the former top dog and her girlfriend were in sight, obviously shook up by something that had happened. Kaz knew something important was up when Allie said they needed to meet. "Sonia's planning something and she thinks that Bea is supporting you and therefore makes her fair game" Allie stated, her eyes watering and obviously feeling very threatened by Sonia's announcement.

"Bea's not going to get touched, neither are you. I'm top dog, what I say goes" Kaz stated, knowing that she did not have all of the women's support. "H1 are staying out of it, Kaz. We're nothing to do with you and Sonia. But if you claim to have all the women under your control, why is there an uprising?" Bea smartly questioned, feeling very angry at Kaz's lies. "I will get it under control" Kaz confessed, knowing how much the strain of top dog was taking a toll on her. "Teach Sonia a lesson, or she'll do the same to you or someone else and you'll be losing power" Bea stated before stomping off out of the unit. Bea now knew that Kaz could not protect them and she was a weak leader. Allie knew Bea's insecurities, and the two of them knew they were going to have to find some way to protect themselves to make it out alive.

Bea decided to call a meeting at H1 on that night, knowing that she was going to have to inform the rest of the crew of the situation that was currently brewing. They needed to decide what they were going to do as a group. As Bea stood at the head of the table, Allie, Liz, Boomer and Maxine all sat down wondering what had got the redhead so worked up. Maxine had already assumed it was something to do with Kaz and Sonia as she heard some gossip from C Block. "Kaz and Sonia are at each others throats. Sonia's contesting for top dog" Bea stated, the rest of the unit taking in the news. Liz was a face of expectation, she always knew that Sonia was thirsty for power and domination since she first arrived here, but the rest of H1 remaining confused. "Why, why'd she want top dog?" Boomer questioned.

Bea shrugged but offered her only reasonable explanation. "I expect she'd want to get involved in the powerful trade in here. There is a lot of money to be made on the outside, plus she wants respect during her stay. If she gets a long sentence, she doesn't want any contenders or any trouble. You can't go up at the top, you can only go down, but when you're down, you are more likely to be attacked and you are more vulnerable" Bea admitted, crossing her arms.

Bea offered the rest of in the information. She told them of Sonia's threat in the bathroom which Boomer had constantly offered to smash Sonia's face in to which Bea kindly declined. "So Sonia thinks you are with Kaz?" Maxine questioned. Bea nodded to confirm her question. "Right so...we need to distance ourselves from Kaz, but it could only be made obvious from making an enemy out of her. So its either, enemy of Sonia or enemy of Kaz. No in between" Maxine deliberated. The girls of H1 looked worried. This was a decision that required thoughtful planning otherwise it would cost lives.

"I think the best thing is to do is to wait it out. Let's watch it unfold; hopefully Kaz will get control of the women and teach Sonia a lesson. As far as we are concerned, we keep our noses clean and out the gossip. It is nothing to do with us, therefore it isn't our problem. Yeah?" Bea stated, the girls all nodding in agreement. As evening count dawned on them, the girls decided to drop the conversation. They watched some crappy TV, an overrated soap drama of where one of the main characters was being killed off. The girls were playfully arguing about why the character should and shouldn't have been killed off, Bea muted herself from the conversation and just decided to stare at Allie the entire time, Allie realising those burning brown orbs were resting on her.

She smiled, knowing she didn't even have to look seeing Bea's attention on her. She looked to make sure and there she was, staring at her. Allie gave her a sexy smirk before returning to watch the TV show. Bea decided to give her undivided attention to the show before getting involved in the conversation. After a couple of hours after watching the TV, playing some cards and listening to some of Boomer's music on the radio to which Bea referenced Allie as "DJ Allie Cat". The girls all laughed at the nickname after they shared their experience of being in the slot for hours and talking, one which Liz and Maxine thought was cute.

After a short while, the girls made their ways to their cells, Allie going into Bea's cell. Before Maxine went into her cell, Bea stopped her, knowing that she was going to need a bit of one-on-one advice from her best friend. "I want to speak to you about two things" Bea stated as they were sat democratically at the table. Maxine nodded in understanding. "I want to pursue things with Allie but I'm worried that something is going to happen after...almost like a curse. And I am always too tired" Bea confessed sadly. Maxine understood and gazed into Bea's eyes. "Listen love" she said, placing her hand on Bea's forearm. "You aren't cursed, that was just the Freak. You and Allie have ten long years together, you have plenty of time so don't rush it. Try and recover" Maxine offered, Bea nodding.

"What's the other thing?" Maxine quizzed. Bea took a moment before speaking. "I don't know if we should take sides or not. I think it will be more dangerous if we sit on the fence and remain undecided. Makes us a target for both sides" Bea said, folding her arms and staring at Maxine, searching her face for a response. "I think if we side with Kaz, it'll be more dangerous as it seems Sonia is gaining more support. If we side with Sonia, we're practically willing for a psychopath to run this prison. Just wait it out" Maxine said, smiling before tapping the table and going back to her cell. Bea sat at the table for a few moments before standing up to go back to her cell.

She decided she was going to do whatever it takes to protect her family, regardless of how hard it would be.


	4. Chapter IV - Stepping Up

**Chapter IV - Stepping Up**

 ***A/N: Smut in this chapter, pre-warning. Enjoy***

The last two weeks had been uneventful at Wentworth. There had been no fights or confrontation, it was merely peaceful under Kaz's control. Bea knew something was going on, she had a hunch - ever since she became top dog, she had a sixth sense for knowing when something was wrong with the women. They were awfully quiet, and Bea suspected it was something to do with Sonia. Bea knew that as a crew, they had to make a decision. But nobody had came up with a rational decision that would keep them away from the firing line. Bea needed help from one of the only people in this world she trusted.

Franky Doyle sat in her chair, buzzing with excitement. She hadn't seen Bea since she was allowed to visit Bea in the hospital, shortly after her surgery when she accompanied Bridget Westfall to check up on her progress. Bea was dosed up on painkillers then and was out of it, no where near the land of reasoning and common sense. Franky's mind withdrew to when she first saw Bea in Wentworth; a beaten down housewife about to be sent down for attempted murder of her deadbeat, rapist husband. In a matter of months, she saw Bea as someone who let people walk all over her to a strong and powerful woman, purely motivated by the death of her beloved daughter, Debbie.

Franky knew that Bea was emotionally unstable after she killed Jacs Holt, and used it to her advantage. Franky only stayed at the top for the fact that she knew she was safe there, and safe is the best place to be when you are in prison. She knew that if she could work and manipulate everyone in the way she wanted to whether it was from drug trafficking or other means, she would make it alive out of Wentworth. Her mind casted back to darker days where her and Bea conflicted when she thought Bea was going for the mantle of top dog. She wasn't. She was going after Brayden Holt.

Bea tried to make Franky safe as a reparation for what had happened that day in the laundry where Bea fought her and won. She cleared up Franky's debt with Cindy Lou's drug crew and practically saved her life. Even if Franky was not thankful at the time, she certainly was thankful now. She knew she would have been dead if it wasn't for Bea then, and also when Bea went back into the burning prison to get her when Ferguson set it on fire. As she dreamed about these past events, she did not notice her favourite redhead take a seat across from her at the table, giving her a slight smile; a slight hint of happiness was replenished in her face.

Franky beamed at her best friend, the redhead returning the favour and giving her a smile. Franky grabbed her hands from across the table before speaking. "Hey, Red. You've got some colour in your face, and your hair!" Franky exclaimed, so happy to see her friend alive and well. Bea grinned at Franky's compliment, giving her a little bit of an ego boost. "Yeah, felt like I needed to replenish my hair. Was letting myself go a bit" Bea replied shyly as she gazed back at her. "Was is the past tense. You're getting better" Franky smiled as she was picking up on Bea's self consciousness and realised that Bea may need her for emotional support and relationship advice when it came to Allie.

Bea laughed to herself, realising how much Franky was becoming a bit like Bridget. "You're sounding a lot like Miss Westfall. Have you been taking some advice from her?" Bea asked inquisitively and provocatively at Franky. Franky just smirked, realising how Bea was trying to play it smart after all the relentless teasing from her. "Yeah, something like that" Franky winked, Bea giggling after realising what she was insinuating. "How are you and Allie?" Franky asked in a bright tone, not really expecting an answer from Bea as she expected that Bea thought she was going to tease her. "Good...but.." Bea trailed off. She didn't really want to explain it to Franky Doyle, of all people, but she knew she had to tell someone, so fuck it.

"We haven't had sex since the incident. I'm worried that she's either become bored of me or I wasn't good enough. She says that we'll take things at my pace and when I'm ready but..." Bea stopped herself, contemplating the confession that she had just made to Franky. Franky looked taken aback. She did not expect that much of a confession from the redhead, but nodded in understanding before depicting her response. "I think you're overthinking things Red. If she has given you the chance to take it at your own pace, she's just waiting on you" Franky said, smiling as she brushed a lock of her black fringe away from her face. Bea nodded, happy that her insecurities were dismissed. "At the end of the day, take her advice. Just do what you want to do and step up" Franky beamed as she playfully pushed Bea on the shoulder.

Absolved in their banter, they did not notice Sonia staring at them whilst she spoke to one of her representatives from her cosmetics company that had been a booming success since she came to Wentworth as the business got a bump in funding. "What does she want?" Franky whispered as she turned back round to face Bea. "Rumour goes round that she is wanting top dog. She thinks I'm with Kaz and she's been threatening me" Bea confessed, despising herself at how weak she was and that she couldn't even defend herself against an old woman like Sonia. "Fucking bitch. What's Kaz gonna do about it?" Franky interrogated. Bea shook her head as Franky scoffed, realising how weak Kaz was as a leader.

"She got much support?" Franky asked, questioning how many people Sonia had on her side. "Juice and a crew from D Block. I don't understand why she is trying to get me involved" Bea admitted, sitting back and brushing red curls away from her face that always seemed to get in the way. Franky thought for a moment. "Then, she's gonna do something drastic to get to the top. If everyone thinks your with Kaz, that makes you fair game" Franky stated, Bea pulling back looking nervous. "I'm gonna have to prove that me and Kaz are separate?" Bea asked. Franky nodded, Bea looking more increasingly worried. "There's got to be more to it than that..." Bea spoke, gazing into the air.

"I know" Franky exclaimed after a silent moment between the both of them. "Sonia's business got a bump in funding..yeah? Well that money's got to be coming from somewhere. A lot of money in drugs..." Franky said before Bea cut her off. "Tina. It's Tina's way of getting back at me after lagging. Sonia and her are allies and we're their enemies. Makes sense. Sonia gets a stake as top dog and protects Tina's flow of gear whilst getting a cut" Bea figured. Franky smiled at her before saying "We make a great team, huh Red?". Bea didn't smile for she knew this was bad news. "Sonia's going to do something drastic because people still think Tina is with Kaz" Bea stated, Franky looking on in awe. "Watch out, Red"

When Bea got back to the unit, she knew that her new findings were going to come as a shock to the members of H1. She decided that instead of a meeting which was quite high profile, she would just pass it on. She saw Maxine in the unit when she got back, obviously recovering from one of her most recent chemotherapy sessions. Bea whispered to her the news, Maxine admiring Sonia's intelligence which was quite to a high standard but obviously not enough if Bea and Franky could work it out. She promised to tell the rest of the crew when they got back. Bea cursed herself and she shut herself inside her cell, knowing that she was going to have to do something to distance herself from Kaz, and she knew only one way how. But that would give Sonia an interval to claim top dog. Bea was in the middle of a sticky situation, and didn't know how to get out.

Allie paced back to the unit, having heard the new discovery after Liz informed her when she got off her work duty. She worried as she couldn't find Bea anywhere, but sighed with relief when she saw Bea's cell shut. Almost silent, she opened the door so quietly, but Bea was expecting her so it did not come as a shock. "Shit babe, what are we gonna do?" Allie interrogated as Bea shrugged her shoulders. She felt helpless, there was nothing she could do that didn't hurt someone, and yet again, Bea was faced with the same dilemma. Hurt or be hurt. "We need to distance ourselves from Kaz. That's only one way how and I'd have to be the one to do it" Bea confessed as she flopped onto the bed.

Allie nodded in understanding. Bea was going to have to hurt Kaz, it was the only way. Allie loved Kaz but she knew this was the only way that Bea and her crew would be able to survive this upcoming, bloody feud. Allie kissed Bea on the cheek and pulled her in for a hug. "Bea, just wait a little. We'll see how it goes, it seems relatively calm at the minute. Start doing the bashings when they become more frequent" Allie said, a little hurt at her own words how she was even contemplating letting somebody hurt Kaz after all they'd been through. But she would understand if it was vice-versa. She'd have to do the same.

The calling for evening meal came through, and Bea gave Allie a quick kiss before they both made it out of Bea's cell and made their way to the mess hall, the atmosphere immediately different. Something was up and Allie knew Bea did not want to get caught up in it. The rest of H1 sensed the same and therefore kept their heads down as the entered the mess hall. As they did so, Sonia braced up in her chair, eagle eyeing them from across the room, Kaz also doing the same. Bea hated how the two of them were trying to use H1 as pawns in their games; it reminded Bea of how Jacs used to do it. Her face flared at the thought of it, as she spooned up some beans with her mash and placed it on her plate.

The table sat down, quite quiet as the room was. The last one to sit down was Boomer who whispered to all of them. "A girl overdosed. C Block" Boomer stated as she shoved a forkload of mash into her mouth. Bea looked at Allie with worry and knew immediately how Sonia was going to manipulate this. With no correspondence in the mess hall whatsoever, everybody was shocked when Sonia stood up and smacked the table. "Are you all just going to let this happen? A young girl overdosed because your 'top dog' allowed the drugs to move through" Sonia shouted, Kaz's eyes piercing like ice. Allie knew that look and knew that Kaz was fired up already as Kaz stood up and leaned on the table, everybody anxious with what was to happen next.

"That was nothing to do with me, I don't fucking touch drugs" Kaz screamed across the mess hall, Bea questioning at the lack of prison officers. Sonia scoffed, her crew laughing hysterically as there were a loud of wolf whistles that erupted from the spectators. "Tina's with you. We all know you protect her stash" Sonia stated folding her arms. Kaz seemed offended by Sonia's declaration. "I don't touch the fucking Asian bitch, I told her no after I got top dog" Kaz yelled across the mess hall. Sonia then decided to do a bit of crowd control. "If you want this easily manipulated fuckwit to run your prison, feel free, but don't blame me when one of your friends OD" Sonia spoke loudly. Mr. Jackson suddenly appeared out of nowhere before shouting at the ladies to settle down. "Looks like the shit has just started. Someone is going to step up" Boomer spoke.

Bea didn't want to be anywhere near Sonia or Kaz. She knew now that she would have to act fast before Sonia took her as collateral damage. She sat on her bed with her head on her hands before Allie silently entered the room. "Babe, don't worry. It's not your problem" Allie said, putting an arm round Bea's shoulder and quickly pressing her lips on her cheek. "It's my problem if one of you gets hurt" Bea confessed, angry that she had been dragged into another pointless situation. She knew that if she did not get out of this hole soon, she was just going to keep digging. "I've got my something to love and something to do, haven't I?" Bea lightly laughed. "Something to look forward to? The rest of my life in this shit place trying to keep fucking alive" Bea confessed, feeling even more sad and depressed than ever.

Allie didn't know what to say because she knew that in reality, Bea was right. She was going to die here, and that destroyed Allie. She knew what a good person she could be, yeah she murdered two people but they were two people who were involved in the death of her daughter. Suddenly, a switch flicked on in the blonde's head and she had an idea, one she decided that she would keep for herself. "You do have something to look forward to because I'm not going nowhere" Allie winked as Bea laughed at Allie's efforts to cheer her up. Bea's mind wandered back to the conversation that she had with Franky earlier and decided to bite the bullet.

With no notice, Bea pulled Allie into a long and deep kiss. It was passionate; and one that made each other forget about all of their problems instantly. In this moment, it was just Bea and Allie. And they were unequivocally in love. As their mouths combated one another for dominance of the kiss, Bea stroked Allie's ribs and her fingertips brushed the sides of Allie's breasts, making her gasp. Allie counteracted this by stroking Bea's hip bone, and pulling her in deeper at the nape of her neck, knowing full on what this was doing to the redhead. It was driving her wild.

As Allie took control, she led Bea to the bed before removing the amounts of clothing that were in her way. Firstly, she removed Bea's top before stroking her breasts through fabric, sending electric shocks down Bea's body and to her core. Allie smiled against Bea's lips as she unclipped the back of her bra before removing it to one side. Allie moved to Bea's neck and her jawline, now deciding to nip at places on Bea's neck, giving her goosebumps and eliciting moans from her. As Allie made her way back up to Bea's lips, she removed her own clothing that she still had on as Bea removed her pants and underwear.

Both fully nude, Allie climbed on top of Bea, their bodies just moulding together like a masterpiece. Bea was amazed at how Allie could make her feel so good; she had honestly never felt like this before when she spoke about her relationship with Allie to Franky. Bea was awoken from her train of thought as Allie moved down from her lips, kissing the corner of her mouth before moving down to her neck before she made a mark by sucking ever so lightly. Bea was thoroughly enjoying everything that she was doing as Allie made her way down Bea's body, making marks by kissing and sucking any bit of skin that she could.

Moving down her chest and kissing through the navel of Bea's breasts, she hovered over Bea's left nipple before looking at her for confirmation. "You sure you want to do this? We can stop at anytime" Allie stated, Bea nodding at her and smirking. Allie did her signature smirk back in return, which by Bea's account should be illegal in some countries, before licking lightly over Bea's nipple. This one action sent a jolt down Bea before Allie took her nipple in her mouth, all while looking at Bea while she was doing it.

As Allie worked the left nipple with her mouth, she began stimulating the right by completing the same action as she did in the shower by rubbing it between her thumb and her forefinger expertly. Allie smiled as it hardened under her fingers, knowing that Allie's actions were getting Bea aroused. As Allie switched over and began licking and teasing her right nipple with her mouth, and stimulating the left one with her fingers, Bea couldn't help the extremely constant moans that were coming from her mouth.

After the relentless teasing, Allie brought her face back up to meet Bea's, to gaze into those gorgeous brown eyes before devouring her mouth. As she was doing so, she trailed a line down the navel of Bea's breasts, down her abdomen were the scars were, and over her pubic bone where Bea pulled back from the kiss to look into Allie's supernatural blue eyes. As they gazed at one another intimately, Allie grazed her fingertips down between Bea's legs, caressing her thighs, knowing what a tease she was being. She didn't need Bea to verbally confirm this, so she decided that she would put the woman out of her misery as her fingertips brushed Bea's core.

Allie was surprised at how aroused she was, dipping her fingers in the juices that protruded there. As Allie put placed her fingers strategically over Bea's clit, just wanting to make sure that Bea was aroused enough for later. Bea moaned embarrassingly loudly, Allie smirking as a result. Allie teased Bea by going down from her clit and teasing the opening of her entrance with her fingers. With a slight warning, Allie pushed her two fingers slowly into Bea, immediately getting a reaction from her. Allie wanted to make this experience enjoyable and to as last as long as possible, and created a steady pace by curling her fingers, hitting Bea's G-Spot with every stroke.

Allie could already feel Bea's walls tightening around her fingers, and decided to slow the pace down a little bit more, before using her thumb to stimulate Bea's clit and she continued to slowly pump in and out of her with her fingers. As she twitched, Bea knew that she was close. Allie decided to pick up the pace ever so slightly as Bea rode out her orgasm loudly, Allie muting her by giving her a deep kiss, moaning into her mouth. As Allie helped Bea come down from the high, she massaged her slowly before pulling out and draping Bea's beloved red blanket over them.

Bea just smiled; she knew she had taken the first step this time, and she was so glad that she had somebody as willing and caring as Allie by her side. As Allie returned the favour and grinned back at her, Bea pressed her lips against Allie's for an intimate kiss. "We're going to have to get up for evening count soon" Bea admitted sadly, just wanting to lay in bed with her lover. Allie toyed with Bea's hair before replying "I just want to be here with you for as long as possible". Bea smiled at the comment, knowing just how lucky she was to have somebody as sweet as Allie.


	5. Chapter V - Two Faced

**Chapter V - Two Faced**

 ***A/N: I just want to say thank you so much for viewing my work and leaving kudos. It really means a lot to me to know that you are all enjoying each part to this story. I am going away this Friday so I am hoping to have another two chapters to you aside from this one in my absence!. I hope you enjoy this next instalment. 3***

Allie Novak woke up with her head led on someone's chest and an arm draped around her back. She didn't even need to look up; she already knew it was Bea. Allie couldn't believe it, Bea was alive and well. There was no Ferguson to fuck things up for them anymore, and Allie just led there in gratitude that the love of her life was still breathing, her heartbeat still pulsing. Allie brushed her fingers on Bea's lips to slowly awake her from her slumber. Bea started to stir before she opened her eyes steadily to find no one other than Allie, lightly brushing her fingers tips of Bea's lips. Smirking at her, Bea pushed herself forward to press her lips upon Allie's; starting the morning with a long, slow but intimate kiss.

After being lost into another dimension with the contact, Bea awoke with the alert of all the events that had happened yesterday. Her and Franky, both former top dogs, alike in wit and intelligence, had worked out that after Kaz refused to help Tina, the cunning drug dealer had switched sides to aspiring top dog, Sonia. With that, all of the drug overdoses that had occurred in Wentworth had been pinned on Kaz as she had not made it clear that she was not trafficking for Tina. Sonia made this point during evening meal, which would've meant some of the women would have changed sides. Sonia then gets the mantle of top dog and protects Tina's shipment whilst getting a cut directly to her cosmetics company.

Bea could not say she was shocked by the way Sonia had led things; the woman was up against a charge for a double murder. She knew that Sonia would need a good and hefty lawyer and therefore would need the funds. This was the only reasoning Bea could provide for wanting the money. No wonder they called her the "ice queen" Bea thought. Her mind then dawned back to Ferguson and she immediately shot up, Allie already knowing what was on Bea's mind. As these thoughts were whizzing in her head, Allie could sense that Bea was getting tense before promptly asking her if she was okay. "Yeah, I'm fine" Bea said, although not to convincingly; Allie reading her like a book.

"This is about Ferguson isn't it." Allie asked, Bea nodding slowly before feeling like a fool. "Even though she's gone, I feel like she's here in spirit and trying to fuck with me" Bea said, hands in her head. Allie straightened up and went over to sit next to Bea, hooking an arm round her shoulder before planting a kiss on her temple. "Babe, she's gone. She can't do us any harm anymore. I know it's hard, but she's in the past. You're never going to see her again" Allie spoke, giving Bea a slight smile. Bea looked up to gaze into Allie's eyes to see if she was bluffing, but she couldn't see anything but burning love and desire. Bea leaned in to give Allie a peck in this kiss which deepened more as Allie pulled Bea in more, the two broken away from their encounter by the alarm, warning them morning count was in five minutes. Allie gave Bea a small nod before moving over to her cell to get changed.

After morning count, Maxine and Liz could sense the anxiety of Bea's face. Before they went to comfort her about it, Allie was always one step ahead. She looked at Bea with intense, loving eyes before taking her hand in hers tightly, before encouraging Bea to come to breakfast with her. Bea nodded slowly, no one ushering a word from the H1 crew as Bea and Allie walked together towards the mess hall, hand in hand, getting a few stares from some onlookers before being followed by the rest from H1 block.

As Allie's hand pushed the door to the mess hall open, all eyes were locked onto them. It was an eerie silence, threatening almost, and Bea just wanted to get by without making any confrontation. She wasn't the only one, with the women all holding similar ambitions. As they nervously queued up to get their food, Bea could feel Kaz and Sonia's burning eyes on her. She gave one nod to Maxine, the woman already knowing what that meant. Maxine scanned the hall for any threats, but not finding any, she simply shrugged her shoulders to Bea. As the crew sat down, nobody spoke a word, and the silence did not go un-noticed by Sonia, who decided it was time to make a stand.

"You're all silent. You all know what's wrong with the way Kaz runs this prison" Sonia stated, just loud enough so that everyone could hear. Bea cursed her luck, just knowing that today of all days, Sonia was going to try and induce a fight with Kaz. Kaz slammed the table in anger, obviously still pissed off about Sonia's demonstration yesterday. "What are you, Sonia? The fucking public speaker?" Kaz laughed sharply, almost with anger. "No Karen, I'm angry that you allow drug pushers to give the women dodgy gear!" Sonia spat, leaning over the table. Juice almost cowered in fear as Sonia leaned over their table, everybody feeling the intimidation. The women all looked to Sonia, and Bea knew what this meant. Sonia was slowly gaining support which would only lead to a contest for top dog. "Shit" Bea whispered under her breath.

Smiles came in shortly after Sonia's outburst, telling them to either calm down or they could calm down in the slot. The two women sat down unwillingly, and Bea decided it was best for her and her crew to make themselves scarce so they didn't get caught in the crossfire. Just before she left, Miles nodded towards Bea, agreeing with what she was doing. Linda was just glad that her shift was up in five minutes, she couldn't stand getting more blood in her uniform after the ganging incident.

As they made their way back to the unit, Bea slumped on the couch and sighed loudly. The crew all knew that Bea was tired, tired of this, and the worst thing was, she was going to be here forever. They all silently took chairs before looking to Bea, waiting for her to speak. Allie led on Bea's lap on the couch, Maxine, Liz and Doreen taking chairs from the table and bringing them over, and Boomer slouching in the armchair. "I'm so fucking tired of this" Bea laughed admittedly. Maxine looked upon sadly; she loved her friend dearly but she was broken to pieces when she knew that Bea was going to die behind these walls.

"I know, honey. But we just need to get through it and avoid any fights" Maxine said, resting a reassuring hand on top of Bea's. Bea snorted at Maxine's comment, not with anger at Maxine, but with envy that at some point they will all make it outside of Wentworth and have a life. Bea? She'll have nothing. Even Allie will leave her at some point, and that breaks her. "Yeah" Bea began. "I've just got to deal with it for the rest of my fucking life!" Bea yelled before storming off. Allie instinctively ran after her, before an idea popped into her head. "Maxine?" she asked quietly. The woman nodding in acknowledgement. "What's Bea's friend? The one who got paroled?" she asked in a whisper which was almost silent.

"Franky Doyle" Maxine said, confused at why Allie wanted to know. Allie then turned to Boomer who was resting her head on her elbow, nearly falling asleep. "Boomer" she said, clapping her hands, making sure to get the woman's attention. Boomer shot up, only just realising that she was falling asleep. "Yeah?" she said, rubbing her eyes. "I need Franky's details to put her on my visitors list. And don't tell Bea" Allie ordered, Boomer looking at her in confusion. Before she even question Allie, the blonde shot her a fierce look which she had learned from Bea. Boomer knew better than to ask and simply nodded. As Allie made her way out of the unit, Doreen asked her where she was going. "H3" Allie replied and she shot out of the unit like road-runner.

Kaz rubbed her temples after Mel was complaining that Juice was trying to provoke a fight with her before Mr. Jackson broke the pair of them up. Snortz and Soz remained quiet, not wanting to add fuel to the fire. "Who do we have?" Kaz asked to Mel before folding her arms and leaning against the doorframe in her cell door. "The women are split 50/50 at the minute. Mainly because they don't want to go with a snobby bitch and a bunch of hepatitis C rapists but because of all the shit she's been spreading, they won't want a top dog who allows drugs freely" Mel stated, sighing. Kaz knew this to be true, and knew that they were going to have to cross swords at one point. "Shit" Kaz swore under her breath.

A short silence stowed upon the Red Right Hand crew. Kaz was disheartened, she had lost Allie who was street smart as her second in command. Mel wasn't bad, but she wasn't Allie. And Kaz could really do with her right now. As she got lost in her thoughts, she failed to notice her former second in command standing in the entrance to their block. Kaz peered up to see the young blonde, who had a very worried look on her face, but Kaz knew it had to be something about Bea. "Hey" Kaz said, almost anxiously, anticipating what Allie was about to say to her. "Kaz, I need to speak to you about something. Privately" Allie said. With that Kaz nodded, the rest of the crew obeying her orders by making themselves scarce.

They took a short walk into Kaz's cell as she closed the door and Allie sat on the bed. "Sonia's going to hurt Bea because she thinks that you two are allies" Allie stated. Kaz looked a bit taken aback by this claim but not surprised seeming how many lies Sonia had been spreading recently. "Righto" Kaz said, waiting for Allie to continue. "I need to keep Bea safe. It's the only way. We've been through so much shit and I am not about to let it all go to shit now" Allie spat, not angry at Kaz but angry at the picture of Sonia even daring to touch her beloved girl. Kaz nodded, knowing where Allie was going with this. "You need Bea to publicly show that we aren't allies so Sonia will leave you alone" Kaz stated, Allie nodding. "You realise by this, it weakens me and puts me in danger?" Kaz questioned, Allie not realising until she put two and two together.

Bea publicly demonstrating against Kaz would mean Sonia would have the upper hand and people would see it as Bea endorsing Sonia. The two remained in a short silence before an idea sprung into Allie's head. "If people think Bea has sided with Sonia, she can work into their crew from the inside and turn them so that they have your support. That way we cut off Tina's pipeline and Sonia's support, leaving her weak" Allie beamed, Kaz astonished at how intelligent and witty Allie could be sometimes. Kaz smirked back at her. "Play the long game" Kaz stated, nodding her head in agreement. "Right, so uh, what are we going to do to show that we aren't allies?"

Bea just wanted to get away; she hated Wentworth. She hated Wentworth for the fact how it was now her permanent home and was so physically and mentally straining. The history of her and this place would haunt her until the day of her death and she knew that she would never see outside those bars as a free woman. Bea found herself pacing the prison, practically going in circles trying to avoid everyone. Upon walking past H3, she stumbled into Allie and was about to make a run for it when Allie pulled her in for a deep kiss; one she could not resist. After a few wolf whistles and a scowl from Kaz in disgust, Allie dragged her into Kaz's cell.

"What the fuck?" Bea shouted, immediately putting her guard up. She felt less threatened and intimidated when she sat the look on both Allie and Kaz's faces. "We've got the perfect plan" Allie stated, putting a lock of Bea's red hair behind her ear. "If you hit Kaz in public, it'll show that you two and not allies. If we ask Sonia and ask to ally to her, we can work Sonia's crew from the inside out and get Kaz to top dog. That way she can protect us" Allie buzzed with excitement, a smile appearing on Bea's face. She didn't want to hit Kaz, but she knew it was the necessary thing to do. "Exercise yard? Bribe Smiles. She's rostered on tomorrow" Bea spoke, Kaz nodding. The two shook hands as Allie hugged both of them, their love for the young blonde bringing them together.

"Sonia, can I have a word?" Bea asked over the shoulder of Stella who was blocking the entrance into D1, Sonia's new unit where the headquarters of her crew was based. "Let her in" Sonia commanded, Stella obeying to her domineering voice. Bea stepped in, followed by Allie and Maxine. Sonia took her reading glasses off and placed her magazine on the table. "Sit" she ordered, Bea doing as she was told, knowing that she was going have to come across as angry at Kaz. As Bea sat down, she interlocked her fingers over the table. "What can I do for you?" Sonia asked, looking Bea square in the eyes. "H1 is now no longer going to sit on the fence. We're siding with you" Bea conveyed. Sonia frowned at Bea before replying. "Why the change of heart?" Sonia quizzed suspiciously. Bea knew she would have to come up with a convincing excuse, so she decided to give it everything she had got.

"I'm not allowing the same shit that killed my daughter to fuck up other women in here. Kaz is a fucking hypocrite" Bea spat with a fake anger. Sonia nodded, suspecting that would be the case. "Okay. So you're with us?" Sonia asked. Bea nodded, as Sonia placed her hand over the table. Bea shook it jubilantly as she left the unit as Juice made a comment. "Queen Bea, never thought I'd see the day" she sneered. Bea looked over her shoulder before replying. "Something's change".

After dinner, Allie knew Bea was tense and a bit apprehensive about how she should approach starting this supposed altercation with Kaz. As the two lovers led facing one another in Bea's cell, they spoke quietly about how she should approach it. "You need to make it obvious for it to have an effect on the women. In other words, finish what you start" Allie said, Bea nodding in agreement before smirking. "I usually do" Bea flirted playfully. "I know that" Allie said before pulling Bea in at the nape of her neck, bringing her in for a deep kiss. Allie climbed on top of Bea before reaching underneath her shirt and cupping her breasts through her bra. Bea moaned loudly, spurring Allie on as the ferocious blonde cupped her breast and began rubbing her nipple and nipping it, teasing Bea to high heaven and back.

Just as things were about to get heated, they stopped by the sound of Boomer's loud pounding on the door. "Oi, you two. Kaz is about to go bunta in the yard" she shouted through the closer door as she went to go and see what all the action was about. "Fuck" Bea said under her breath. Allie gave her one long kiss before saying "It's gonna be okay, babe. Do what you have to do" Allie said before climbing up off Bea and heading towards the door. "I'll have to finish what I started another time then" Bea winked, Allie smirking back at her as she led the way to the exercise yard.

Bea got a burst of fresh air when she stepped outside, still holding Allie's hand. She let go when she saw Sonia and Kaz, face to face, not saying a word. There was a clear divide, and there were obviously no guards around. Here goes nothing, Bea thought. As she stepped towards Bea and Kaz, Kaz almost knew what was coming. Bea gave her that look that Kaz acknowledged. "You're nothing but hypocritical scum, Karen Proctor" Sonia stated, getting a round of cheers from her side of the women. Wentworth's inmates were clearly divide 50/50. Bea's sixth sense after being reigning top dog for a while was to sense that each inmate had to individually take a side, whether they agreed with it or not. It was more 'follow the herd', but this was obviously not the case. Kaz replied in earnest "You're a fucking manipulator. You're using these women for your own fucking profits. I think you'll find you are the scum" Kaz spat in Sonia's face, only provoking a round of applause from Kaz's women.

Bea placed her arm to push Sonia back as she stood face to face to Kaz, Kaz almost bracing for the arm that was going to swing her way. Bea remembered what Allie said about making an impression, and decided a little speech would suffice before she hurt the very woman that she was secretly allying with. "You are such a disappointment. You're emotionally weak, and you can be manipulated so easily. I won't be surprised if somebody else is pulling your strings. But I'm certainly not going to let a fuckwit like you let drugs through this prison" Bea screamed at Kaz's face before earning a heft left hook into Kaz's head. The force was damn near enough to knock Kaz out, but Bea had been careful in placing her punch. A nod from Kaz to her women and Sonia to hers, Bea knew what was going to happen, and she didn't want to get caught in the crossfire.


	6. Chapter VI - Running Riot

**Chapter VI - Running Riot**

 ***A/N: Smut and a lot of fighting. Hope you appreciate this next chapter***

"Shit". The words came out more like a scream from Boomer's mouth as the women cascaded over one another fiercely. Before she knew it, a bald tattooed woman was flinging her fists towards her, as Boomer artfully deflected the attack and resulted in hooking the woman in the left of her face. Liz, Maxine and Doreen didn't know what to make of it but they knew that they did not want to get hurt, and as that was the most probable outcome, they decided to make themselves scarce. All that was left was Bea, Allie and Boomer. Bea ran out to the side, grabbing Allie's hand before running away, leaving Boomer as the only H1 participant in the riot.

It seemed Sonia's women were appearing to be winning. About three of Kaz's women had gone down as a result of the hepatitis C crew's efforts. One of the women was bleeding from a gash on her head, and the other two were crumpling up in pain. Snortz was fighting off two smaller inmates whereas Mel and Soz were defending one another, fighting off people back to back, but slowly losing. Sonia stood back and watched from a distance in comparison to Kaz who was being grabbed by the hair. She looked on in admiration of all of the women who were fighting on her behalf, and disgust at those who had decided to side with Kaz. Seems like the lies have paid off, Sonia thought.

"This is a code black, all prisoners return to their units" buzzed through on the alarm. It echoed all throughout the prison, not like any of the inmates were listening and adhering to the instructions given to them by the guards. Vera Bennett sat pacing in her office; all radio communication had suffered a blackout and nobody knew why. Some officer had to be involved, and she could've bet her money that it was Smiles seeming as the woman herself had an obsessive gambling habit. Bridget Westfall came storming in the door, already knowing what has happened. "Vera, what are you going to do? You're going to have to call the SASG" Bridget spoke, Vera slumping into her chair. Her hair was tied loosely. She was letting herself go, and the riot explained all of it.

As the buzzer screamed for all the inmates to return to their units, Liz, Maxine and Doreen locked themselves in confinement in medical. "Where's Boomer?" Maxine asked worriedly, exhaling in abnormal patterns. "She wanted to go bunta on someone. She's out in the yard" Doreen panted, exhausted from running. Liz was the same, gasping for breath. "What...about Bea..and Allie?" Liz questioned, the rest of them shrugging their shoulders. "Shit" Doreen uttered under her breath, the rest of the women in silence leaving their minds to ponder where Bea and Allie would have gotten to. At that point, Nurse Radcliffe, the overly dolled up and snobby nurse came in a shut the door behind her. "What's going on?!" the nurse screamed, alarmed that she was in a room with prisoners and no guards. "There's a riot. Sonia Stevens and Kaz Proctor contesting for top dog" Maxine answered once she had regained her breath.

Allie sprinted as Bea followed closely behind, the two connected by their hands interlocked together. She knew one place that was safe and secluded and most likely away from any of the confrontation that was currently being executed in the exercise yard. There was a high chance that somebody was going to try and provoke a fight if they had come into contact with one of Kaz's men after Bea's demonstration in the yard. Bea had no clue where they were going but she trusted Allie to find some place safe in the prison where they would not b under threat of attack from one of Kaz's crew. As they turned the corner into the kitchen, Bea knew where Allie was going; the equipment room.

Sonia looked onwards on the fight as a spectator. As it looked, Kaz's crew were now falling. Sonia had lost Stella who was crumpling on the floor in pain after three of Kaz's crew ganged up on her and were now kicking her repeatedly in the stomach. They now proceeded to stamp on her head but Sonia simply did not intervene for she did not want to get her own hands dirty. She found that the best way to exert her power was to watch from the side-line and to not get involved. Boomer suddenly came over to Sonia before speaking to her. "What do you want? I'm with Bea" she shouted, Sonia simply nodding over to Kaz who had managed to take down four of Sonia's crew. Boomer knew what this meant before heading over to Kaz.

Kaz had managed to defend herself by kicking away four of Sonia's thugs, but she saw that her fellow crew members were struggling. All of the members of the Red Right Hand had seemingly recovered and were up on their feet. Kaz knew that she was losing this fight but her ignorant hope spurred her on to continue fighting. She wanted top dog, she knew that the prison would not cope under a totalitarian dictator like Sonia. These women needed to be protected, not intimidated. Kaz decided to take on two smaller women that were starting on Mel. Due to Mel's size, she was struggling as she only just managed to dodge a right cross punch from one of the women.

She grabbed her arm and by sheer luck, she pushed it with all her force behind her back, breaking the woman's arm in the process. Shocked at what she had just done, she did not see the right hook coming her way from another woman that knocked her square on the floor. The woman did not see Kaz coming from behind as Kaz put her in a headlock and began trying to choke her. Boomer saw that Kaz was trying to choke a woman out, and Boomer didn't particularly want to hurt her as she knew what damage she could do and she knew how small Kaz was. Pretending to be apprehended, she diverted her course to three women that were successfully ganging up on Juice who was now bleeding from her nose. "Fucking pigs!" Juice screamed as she landed a devastating left hook blow onto the side of one of the smaller women's head.

Nurse Radcliffe seemed to have calmed down when she realised that the prisoners who had locked themselves into isolation were friendly and non violent. However, her ignorant attitude meant that she still treated them and degraded them at every available opportunity. "You shouldn't be in here" the nurse kept repeating anxiously. "Yeah lady and your guards shouldn't allow these fucking riots to happen!" Liz spat with anger, as if the nurse was trying to insinuate that they would even consider going into that rabble.

The nurse scoffed at Liz before taking a seat in the corner with her head in her hands. Doreen took this opportunity to peer out of the window of medical to see one of Juice's boys being destroyed with blows from five other women that were presumably members of Kaz's crew or had sided with her during this bloody feud. Doreen flinched even at the sight, so she couldn't even imagine the pain that the poor woman was feeling. "Looks like it has made its way inside" Doreen gulped as Maxine and Liz joined her in looking at the conflict that was occurring outside medical.

As Allie leaned her body back on the equipment room door to close it, she had managed to obtain the padlock and key so that she could lock herself and Bea safely inside it. Both of them simultaneously sighing. Allie wiped her forehead as she sat on the counter with Bea standing in between her legs. "Well...that was hectic" Allie laughed as she regained her breath. "Yeah...the one I created was worse though" Bea winked as she stroked the inside of Allie's thigh. The woman let out a small sigh with Bea smirking, getting the exact reaction that she wanted. "Oh yeah?" Allie replied, flirtatiously. "Yeah" Bea smiled coyly. "Did you finish what you started?" Allie quizzed provocatively, smirking at Bea. "Mmm" Bea sighed as she pressed her lips against Allie's sending her into a daze.

Bea decided to toy with Allie for a bit whilst they were in this moment of madness. "What were you into, before all this?" Bea asked, smiling at Allie, the blonde being smart and knowing exactly where this conversation was going. It stemmed back from their first encounter in the equipment room which still remained a happy memory for the both of them. "Hmm...what do you mean?" Allie asked back, grabbing Bea's hair, causing Bea to stare her back into those gorgeous blue eyes that were now a midnight black colour, full with desire and want for the redhead. "What do you think I mean?" Bea asked playfully. Allie went in to kiss Bea again, moaning into her mouth at the contact. She loved moments like this where they could just forget about absolutely everything, just as long as they had each other.

"I don't know, what were you into?" Allie asked invitingly. "I was into you" Bea said seductively before embracing Allie once more before lifting her off the counter completely with her muscular, toned arms and lying her down on the floor on the equipment room. Bea placed herself on top of Allie as their lips connected, sending jolts of electricity down to Allie's core. Bea dominated the kiss, Allie famishing in confidence as it Bea had a new sense of want that had overcome her; a new power that had never been gifted to her before, and one that only appeared with Allie. Wasting no time, she dragged her lips down Allie's jawline and bit at her pulse point, erecting a loud moan from Allie's mouth which she couldn't seem to help.

Oblivious to the fact that there was a riot outside, the two lovers connection was not just physical, but mental as well. Bea pulled Allie's top off with want, unclipping her bra and kissing her chest before moving down to palm her breasts roughly which Allie was enjoying thoroughly. Bea's inexperience led to her being a masterful teaser which Allie loved so much. Bea continued to brush her tongue against Allie's and along her bottom lip before biting it, and then kissing the part of Allie's lips that she bit to soothe it. Bea then decided to move down Allie's chest before taking her left breast in her mouth, eyes connecting with Allie as she did so, recreating the fireworks that Allie had done for her in their earlier encounters. The young blonde could think of no better payment.

As Bea used her fingers to tease Allie by rubbing and then pinching her nipples as she kissed down her abdomen, every so often sucking or biting on a random area. As she reached the waistband of Allie's sweatpants, she looked upon the gorgeous woman that was underneath her. She had marked her all the way down, and Allie was enjoying it so much. She loved to know that she was Bea's, and that the stunning redhead was hers also. Bea decided to move up Allie's body once more to re-join her lips in a heated kiss before Allie pulled her shirt and bra off of her body. Suddenly, Bea felt hesitation. She had never done this before and she did not want to upset Allie or displease her. Allie knew this would be the case. "Are you sure?" she asked, stroking Bea's cheek with her thumb. "Are you going to walk me through it?" Bea asked, trying to get an ounce of confidence out.

Allie admired her, and simply nodded coyly, before their lips connected once more. Allie simply grabbed Bea's hand as she guided her through what to do. She took Bea's hand down her stomach before looking into Bea's eyes, before her gaze was redirected down Allie's body. As their hands seeped deeper below Allie's sweatpants and underwear, Allie grabbed Bea's two fingers before placing them at her entrance, pushing them in ever so slowly. Allie gasped at the contact, it being better than she could've ever recreated for herself or imagined. "Oh my god" she whispered under her breath. Bea took the lead from there, feeling no more hesitance as she knew that she simply could not go wrong from here.

Bea was very surprised at how aroused Allie was, but very satisfied, knowing her earlier action in the foreplay that they were doing earlier were working. Bea pushed her fingers in at a very slow rhythm, teasing Allie. "Baby, please..." Allie moaned as she grabbed Bea by the neck. Bea simply smirked at her, turning Allie on even more. Almost by accident, Bea curled her fingers, hitting Allie's G-Spot as the blonde had recreated for her. The moans from Allie's mouth were getting louder, along with Bea's confidence. As Allie could feel herself building up, she became disappointed when Bea withdrew her fingers. Allie was about to protest when she saw Bea lick the same slickness off the fingers that were bringing Allie so much pleasure.

"You're so fucking hot" Allie said, panting, bringing Bea's lips to her mouth, tasting herself on Bea as the redhead guided her fingers back down and glided them inside Allie. Allie moaned into Bea's mouth as the redhead continued to pump in and out of Allie at a steady rhythm, every now and then flicking the blonde's clit, causing her to jump in pleasure. Allie knew she wasn't going to last long, she was dreaming of this ever since she heard of Bea on the outside. "Babe...I'm gonna..." Allie barely managed to get out. "What's that?" Bea asked curiously, knowing very full well what Allie was going to say but needing confirmation for herself.

"I'm gonna...I'm gonna come" Allie moaned with a vicious tone, knowing how well much Bea was playing with her. Bea felt Allie's walls tightening around her fingers before the blonde screamed out in pleasure, and a flood of wetness had now become present at Allie's core. Bea laughed lightly to herself before leaving Allie slowly, and then doing what she did before by licking Allie's juices clean off her fingers. "Are...are you sure you've never done that before?" Allie panted, with a grin ear to ear. "I'm sure" Bea smiled against Allie's mouth before kissing her again. "That was fucking amazing" Allie said as she kissed Bea on the jaw and moved down her neck to take her top off before placing a kiss on Bea's chest and moving down her body...

Ten minutes after Juice had landed the devastating blow, Kaz's women had surrendered. Boomer had Kaz by the scruff of her neck, and Sonia had ordered all of the women to gather round. "It's fucking Sonia's! She's top dog" Kaz screamed, Boomer dropping her and the blonde curling over in pain. She had been shivved, kicked in the guts about twenty times and been smacked into a bench. Sonia stood over Kaz before stamping over her face. She then proceeded to announce: "I'm top dog. What I say goes. Now everyone, fuck off back to your units" she ordered, everybody complying. Kaz lay crumpled on the floor before Sonia spat on her. "Payback for earlier" she simply stated, before wandering off like nothing had happened.

Boomer felt bad for Kaz, and decided it was her duty to inform the officers of what had happened. She decided it would be best to cut through the kitchen, but when she heard moans coming from the equipment room, she couldn't help but feel curious. She knocked loudly on the door. "Bea? Allie?" she asked, still pounding on the door. Allie almost jumped three metres in the air like a cat, and Bea was almost frozen solid with shock. "Yeah?" Allie managed to get out, even her face red at being caught in the act. "It's nice to know that you two were fucking in the equipment room closet but all shits broken loose and Sonia's now top dog and Kaz is hurt badly" Boomer shouted. Allie and Bea both hurried to get on their clothes before following Boomer to the Governor's office.

"If I call the SASG, I will lose my job. After the stunts with Ferguson, they got a lot tougher. I can't lose my job, I've worked too hard!" Vera shouted across the room, aware that no staff were actually inside in the inmates complex as all of them were huddled in the staffroom. Bridget couldn't help but feel sympathy for Vera as she only tried to do her best for the women and it always seemed to get thrown back in her face. Bridget didn't know what to say, and she remained further shocked when she saw three bodies dressed in teal enter the office, panting heavily. "Sonia's top dog. Her crew won the fight. Someone paid off an officer to fuck up your rosters and the radios" Bea exhaled as she struggled to breathe. They'd only been walking but Bea was still recovering.

"Shit" Vera said under her breath. "They've all gone back to their units. It's safe now" Allie replied. Vera nodded in thanks before asking Will Jackson to take them back to their units. The muscular guard seemed very agitated but alert at the days events as he took them back. They were locked in as the governor announced there would be a lockdown until there could be a recollection of what had happened. Allie was very worried about Kaz, but was met with reassurance from the rest of H1 that she would be okay. Kaz had survived much worse. She would be okay, Allie kept telling herself.

Liz, Doreen and Maxine had been escorted from medical back to H1 after Vera deployed her guards into the complex. All of the prisoners seemed to be quiet and complying; in a daze after concluding the shift in power at the prison. Everybody waited in anticipation to see what it would be like under Sonia's rule, but only time would be able to tell. Tina was very happy - she would now be able to import a sizeable base of drugs in for sale with the protection of the top dog who would also be getting some of the cut. Sonia had power and money - all she had ever wanted. She did not think that she would be making a profit from inside prison walls, that is for sure.

As Bea was tired, she announced she was going to get an early night. Allie took this opportunity to get Franky Doyle's details, before asking Smiles to put her on Allie's visitors form. With a promise of a sum of money being dropped into her account, she went away with the form. Allie knew that Bea wouldn't be able to cope, and now she was wondering if any of the other girls felt the same. At least they were safe, for now.


	7. Chapter VII - Taking a Step

Chapter VII - Taking A Stand

Bea fluttered her eyes when she heard the reminder for morning count. Yawning, she stretched out to find that Allie was not there. Flashbacks of Ferguson arose and her paranoia suddenly clouded all objectivity, as she stumbled out from her red blanket and put some clothes on her nude body. Throwing her hair up into a high ponytail, she stumbled out of her cell, worry and panic on her face. Maxine, all knowing, soothed her by telling her that Allie had gone to visitors centre. Wiping a red curl away from her face, she pondered on who possibly Allie could be visiting. Maybe Allie had family that visited her in secret or maybe Allie had gotten bored of her. She knew she was reading into it too much, and with this, she nodded at Maxine who intently followed her to breakfast.

* * *

Allie knew that Franky had pulled out all the stops for this meeting. She had managed to arrange it with the governor of the facility, Ms. Bennett to have a meeting with her on legal matters that was in private and out of visiting hours to avoid any unnecessary attention from the other prisoners. Franky sat on the table, drumming her thumbs against the wooden desk, ready to meet the superhuman who could do what she couldn't, and that was to get with the legendary Queen Bea Smith. As the tattooed brunette sat waiting her arrival, Allie herself was nervous to meet Franky for the first time. She had heard about her a lot, but meeting her in person was a complete different matter.

Franky's legacy had lived on throughout Wentworth, having done a seven year stretch for wounding with intent. Having a reputation for being Wentworth's own Casanova, Allie secretly admired her and her supposed sexual confidence, however nothing could even compare to her sweet, shy, loving and attentive Bea Smith. As Mr. Jackson opened the door for her to enter the visitors room, he left Allie and Franky alone with one comment : "Watch out for this one" he smirked, leaving a little smile on Allie's face as she came across Franky Doyle for the first time. Tattoos on both arms, black hair up in a pony tail and a grin like a Cheshire cat, here she was.

Franky was donning a olive cut off vest, black jeans and high ankle boots, in comparison to Allie's teal pants and white t-shirt which made her seem pretty bland, although Bea had always commented that she looked beautiful in absolutely every way. The thought of Bea made her smile as she took the first steps into shaking Franky's hand before sitting down. "So, you must be the legendary Allie Novak, I've heard all about you" Franky beamed as she sat down and began to push forward a cup of coffee that she had brought with her.

"Two sugars, I had to guess" Franky shrugged as Allie gave her thanks before saying "So, what has Bea told you then?" Allie asked, curious to know an outside opinion of what Bea thought of Allie. "You're Kaz's ex second in command before you left her. A load of shit went down but you were always loyal. In fact, to quote her words, she's never felt like this before. You must be one lucky girl. She was uptight when I met her for the first time" Franky giggled as she took a sip of her coffee which had four sugars in, giving her all the energy to try and fill Allie's request. "So...I have some amazing, good news which I was going to tell Bea but seeming as we are doing this in secret, I'll keep it as a surprise.." Franky grinned, Allie returning the gesture.

* * *

Bea had not seen Allie all morning and was starting to get worried. Had she been caught up with Sonia and Kaz after the aftermath of the fight? Bea didn't want to go to breakfast without her lover, she just didn't feel herself when Allie was around. A gentle nudge from Maxine urged her in the mess hall, and she felt a little relieved when nobody glared at her or laid their eyes upon her in a threatening and demeaning manner as they had done before. The mess hall was full with chatter from the women who seemed to be settling down with this shift in power, however the H3 table seemed empty, and Bea could only assume that it was because of Sonia's women bashing them to high heaven and back.

As Bea placed a strip of bacon and two eggs on her plate, not feeling like beans or toast today, she took a seat in her normal chair before watching the rest of her crew sit before her. Everyone seemed normal with their small talk and irrelevant conversations, whether they were talking about Liz's daughter, Sophie, how Maxine's chemotherapy was going and how Nash was doing with baby Josh in Perth. Nobody seemed to bother Bea, and that she was thankful for. However, it seemed as if she cursed her luck as Juice tapped her on the shoulder and nodded towards their table. Bea did as she was told, wanting to keep up the charade of her and Sonia being allies, and went to take the chair next to Sonia, who had a big grin on her face.

"How are you doing?" Bea asked politely, before drumming her fingers on the table as Sonia ate a portion of her egg. She finished before speaking: "It's good. Everyone has seemed to accept my power. Kaz is in medical with her crew, so I have no qualms with that. However Bea, power does not come without consequences. So I do not want you to get angry with my next statement" Sonia began, looking Bea dead in the eyes, Bea already knowing what Sonia was going to tell her. "Tina Mercado gives me a great forecourt for my power. I have struck an agreement with her. She will not peddle any of her gear to your girls. That is set in stone" Sonia finished, looking for Bea's angry reaction which was anything but.

"It doesn't go near Allie, it does not bother me" Bea stated, Sonia nodding in agreement. "I think you'll find that you will find your support in me will be satisfactory" Sonia said, before leaning in close to Bea's ear. "I have some champagne coming in. Special delivery. 8, sharpish. We'll celebrate" Sonia smiled, Bea nodding back and smiling. Bea was secretly disgusted at how hypocritical Sonia was being with her statement but she knew that she had to protect herself and her crew and the only way to do that was to side with Sonia. For now.

* * *

Kaz Proctor laid in the bed in medical, stitches in her forehead to stop blood from seeping out and various bruises on her body. She also had a bowl next to her which was full with her blood; the internal bleeding doing some damage to her. Kaz knew she had lost that fight with Sonia, but with good intention. She knew that the next time she rose, she would be much stronger. She just had to play the long game. She hoped that Bea's primal instincts as being one of the most successful top dogs would prove worthy. With these thoughts rushing through her head, she seemed oblivious to the fact that a short figure with a tight bun and the governor's rank slide on her shoulders had stepped in to see the damage for herself.

Vera Bennett was shocked when she saw the state of Kaz. Her reign as top dog was very short and she was sure that nothing could amount better than that of Bea Smith who's ideology fitted perfectly with that of the correctional service: no drugs. She knew that Kaz ultimately wanted security and safety, and much like Bea, used the stance of top dog to proclaim that. But as Vera saw the woman that had such a fierceness about her look so weak and powerless, Vera felt sympathy as she knew how easily Kaz was emotionally manipulated and wound up.

"How are you feeling?" Ms. Bennett asked, not expecting a reply from Kaz as she expected that she would keep quiet about the whole incident. Vera knew that there was no point in even asking who did it because she knew that she would never get an answer. The repercussions for the other women were far too dangerous and would end up in her getting hurt a lot more than she currently was right now. Kaz just shook her head, a stray tear falling from her eye, knowing that she was going to have to spend the next 12 years just trying to keep alive. She just wished that everything could be normal, a time before Wentworth, a time before Joan Ferguson, a time before Bea Smith.

"I want to place my hands around the throat of Sonia Stevens" Kaz stated, sobbing a little bit after being angry at the thought of possibly losing. She felt a little bit jealous that Sonia was top dog and not her but even Kaz knew when her jealousy was being childish and getting the better of her. "You're now a former top dog along with Bea Smith. Are you going to challenge her again?" Vera asked, again not expecting a response. Kaz shook her head. Vera knew she had pestered the blonde enough and decided to leave her be. She stepped outside to engage in a conversation with the nurse before looking back at Kaz and leaving.

* * *

"No fucking way!" Allie whizzed, the happiness radiating off of her. She felt like a child on Christmas morning, and it wasn't even anything to do with her. "The chick at the legal centre did some digging and she reckons that they can get the neighbour's CCTV recording to show that Brayden Holt did in-fact kill Debbie Smith, therefore leading to Bea's later actions and a motive. Now I'm only a para-legal and as I'm a friend, I can't help her in court. I'm aware Bea has a lot of money, so she could hire an expensive lawyer to get a police investigation back into circulation. If there was CCTV, it would show it clearly, and show a corrupt police officer within Melbourne. It would be beneficial for the police to accept it" Franky grinned, Allie almost jumping out of her seat.

"That's...fucking incredible...so are you saying what I think you are saying?" Allie said, smiling as she gulped the rest of her coffee. Franky nodded, her grin now ear to ear. "If we get an expensive lawyer t do this investigation, with my help, we can look at a sentence reduction...with parole" Franky clapped with excitement as she flicked over her files once more. Allie's legs danced with happiness, looking at the extremely small slim chance that she may be able to live with Bea on the outside. "Now, this has to be a secret. She did murder two people so it is extremely unlikely that she'll be out of here. However, if we have sufficient evidence...she may be looking at a 20-30 year stretch" Franky grinned, looking back at her files.

* * *

It was now nearing lunch and Bea was honestly starting to fret. She decided to take her anxieties and place pencil onto paper as she started drawing a very high definition photo of her, Debbie and Allie. If only, she thought. Bea's mind wandered to what would happen if she had met Allie on the outside. She smiled at the thought of how happy she would have been. Doreen walked through the unit at that particular moment, and surprisingly, instead of talking about her problems, she decided to ask Bea what that massive smile on her face was. Bea just shook her head, Doreen using her imagination and guessing smartly that it was something to do with Allie. However, her smile did not last as she brought herself back to reality. She was going to die in here.

Allie turned the corner at that exact moment, Bea locking eyes with her as she first entered the unit. Bea stood up and wrapped the blonde tightly in a hug before placing a kiss on her lips. Even though they had only been apart a few hours, Bea missed the younger woman's presence, and vice versa. "Where have you been, Alliecat?" Bea asked promptly. Almost instinctively, she said "I was in the governor's office. She said that I can apprentice you at your class" Allie smiled, telling the white lie with good intent. Bea nodded and brought the younger woman in tighter before Boomer's loud voice split them apart.

"Oooh, I want to watch until it gets interesting" she cackled loudly as she entered the unit. "It was a fucking hug, Booms, it's not like I've got my fingers inside of her" Allie complained. Boomer smirked, conjuring an awesome and provocative response. "No, but they will be later" she grinned, already running as Bea was hot on her heels, ready to bring Boomer down a notch after she gave them relentless teasing about their sex life, always wanting to know everything that went on, in explicit details. Bea gave up her chase when Allie came up behind her and brought the woman in for a hug by wrapping her arms around her waist, making her calm down instantly. She unconsciously relaxed into Allie, and it was almost as if the girl had become a safety blanket for her.

Allie simply said "Well she's good at it and I'm not complaining" before smiling at Boomer, who simply stuck her tongue out and wandered off; most likely to see Stella to trade her some Monte Carlos. As Bea remained behind hugged by Allie, Maxine's face lit up as soon as she saw the sight. She was so happy with her friend, even though she knew she had her own things to be focusing on, she had never seen Bea before this happy. Just before she was about to greet her friends, a red faced Boomer appeared back in the unit, looking obviously distressed.

"A girl. Showers. OD'd. Looks like that pink shit that Franky used to have" Boomer eventually said, the words coming out as she had managed to get heart breath pattern regulated. Bea's face went white as she immediately looked at Allie. Even though she knew the girl was there, every time she heard that a girl had overdosed, she immediately had a heart attack and thought of the worst; and that was her beautiful Allie being taken from her. "Why hasn't anyone pushed the fucking panic button?" Bea quizzed, getting slightly angry at the fact that there was possibly a corpse in the showers. "No one knows why" Boomer said. Bea looked even more frustrated at this, but she knew that she simply could not get angry because she was risking the security an protection of others which was selfish of her.

"Fuck" Bea said under her breath, Allie rubbing her shoulder, knowing the frustration that Bea was feeling. She was no longer in a position of power and control and she felt helpless; she didn't like having to look up and having to take whatever Sonia said but she knew how draining it was on her and she didn't want to challenge Sonia or take up the position again. Being top dog was a double edged sword; everyone wants it but nobody knows how damaging it actually is. Allie dragged Bea back to her cell to calm down as the rest of H1 also vacated to their cells.

* * *

"If we press the panic button, they are going to know it was me and my gear. They cell toss us, I get slotted and more time" Tina argued, Sonia stood in silence, peering at the body as Tina had heard that Boomer had spotted a corpse in the showers. A girl from B Block, one of Tina's regulars, had obviously injected herself in shit that was more purer than Tina actually thought, unequivocally leading to her death. Tina felt no remorse for it was her line of business and it was not her responsibility to make sure that all of her client's shot up properly. Sonia pursed, thinking of a way to deal with the situation.

She knew that it left her open if people started taking shots at Tina, however she could not openly protect her as only her new close allies knew of her secrets. This woman had left her in a sticky situation, and Sonia knew she had to go with her gut and follow her conscience as she smacked the red distress signal hard, the sound echoing through the prison. Tina looked at her with splintered eyes, but Sonia left the room before turning to say one final thing to her. "We'll talk. D Block. 8pm" Sonia said before leaving.

* * *

Allie stroked Bea's head as she lay on her chest, Bea's hands under her shirt, lightly stroking Allie's ribs making the blonde go wild. Allie had her fingers in red curls before she broke the silence. "Bea" she began, the redhead's head perking up at the sound of her name. "What would you like to do if you were a free woman?" Allie asked, trying to bring it up as a matter of conversation and not wanting to dig deeply. "Be with you" Bea replied honestly, looking up into Allie's eyes before caressing her jaw. Bea leaned forward and pressed her lips against Allie's before pulling back and elaborating on her answer.

"I'd like a Harley. My mum used to have one but she never rode it. She just liked looking at it. A nice beachfront house would be nice too" Bea giggled as Allie smiled back at her. This false hope almost made Bea slightly more depressed as she dug her face back into Allie's chest again. Before they knew it, the panic button signal rang deafeningly around the prison, Allie and Bea both instinctively rising up and cursing. "Code black in the shower block, medical assistance required in the shower block" rang all throughout the prison. Bea lay back down, Allie following as she let Bea's head rest on her chest. "Ruined my fantasy" Bea said, trying to lighten the mood. Allie smiled back at her before Maxine came and knocked on the door to Bea's cell before opening it.

Maxine decided to take a chair that was placed adjacent to the bed in Bea's cell, knowing that they were going to have to discuss what was going on with all the recent overdoses. "What are we going to do, love?" Maxine asked, knowing that they had to make a decision somehow. "I have to play ball. Kaz is weakened now, and so am I. Unfortunately, I think it's a case of letting the women lose faith in her before I start ushering them along the same path and giving them encouragement to support Kaz" Bea stated, sighing after, Allie kissing her cheek which instantly distressed her. Maxine nodded, leaving the cell and the two lovers. "You'll be fine babe" Allie said as she kissed Bea's temple before the two of them lay back in the bed, trying to forget what kind of predicament they were in.


	8. Chapter VIII - Double Agent

**Chapter VIII - Double Agent**

After the body was removed from the shower block, everybody acted as if everything was normal. They knew that this was going to become something that as going to happen o a regular basis, and as none of them were going to stand up to Sonia about it and face the dire consequences that would be waiting for them, they might as well keep their heads down and their mouths shut. Bea took the same attitude and enforced it on her crew, even though she knew it was wrong and morally challenging. Bea was angry at herself, angry that she did simply not have the energy to stop the very thing that claimed her own daughter's life. She knew she did not have that responsibility, and that is what stopped her from going up to Sonia and placing her hands around her throat.

Bea was stopped in her thoughts as Allie gave her a quick peck on the cheek as she went to sit down next to her. Bea took the opportunity to brush some of the red curls away from her face and to stare at Sonia who seemed to be so guilt free, cold and detached as she laughed freely with Juice and her gang. Bea felt the anger burning up inside her; Allie reading her like a book before grabbing her chin to face her. She shook her head, Bea taking the advice as she stabbed the tuna pasta bake that the mess hall had been offering with her fork, imagining it was Sonia's face instead. The redhead decided that it was the best distraction to get involved with the banter and small talk that the crew initiated.

"So, how's the bubba Dors?" Boomer questioned before putting a questionable amount of food in her mouth. Doreen took a moment to politely finish her food before answering. "Nash says he's doing okay but I miss him like crazy. I know Nash only moved because they had nothing here" Doreen said, looking on sadly as she dawned on how much she missed her partner and son. "Are you still going to Perth?" Bea decided to ask, everyone a little shocked that she had decided to engage in a conversation. Doreen nodded her head, a little upset that she had made the important decision to leave Wentworth to serve the rest of her sentence in Perth, but knowing at some point she had to choose what was best for her and her family.

Lunch went by with no altercations, the women not making any sort of public display of discomfort towards Sonia, not like they would as her power seemed to be quite dominating and strong at the moment. Bea decided it was a good idea to meet with Kaz and make their next move, an idea popping into Bea's head which may be more beneficial to Kaz and more appealing to the women. That way they would keep Sonia's reign as top dog for as short a time period as possible. As Bea exited the mess hall, she informed Allie of her plans, the blonde taking this as a hint to go and tell Kaz to arrange a time.

* * *

The rest of the Red Right Hand crew had been released from medical shortly after lunch, awaiting the anxious return of their leader. Sure enough, a small but fierce minded blonde rounded the corner, a gash on her forehead evident and her limp showing some signs of leg damage. The rest of the crew embraced their leader in a hug, knowing how much the fight ahd taken a physical and mental toll on her. Kaz just wanted to get some rest before she saw Allie rounding the corner, gasping at how hurt and weak Kaz looked. She felt sick to her stomach, and it made her angry knowing that the woman who was responsible for this was able to roam free.

Like her fellow crew members, she embraced her adoptive mother in a hug. "Mum, are you okay?" she asked, taking a lock of blonde fringe away from her face. Tears started to swell in Kaz's eyes; she hated showing that she was weak. It reminded her of her childhood where her father sexually abused her; she was weak and powerless. She had grown into a much stronger and fiercer woman, however Sonia's battering meant she felt just like that little girl again. She nodded briefly before waiting to see what Allie had came for. "Bea has an idea. She'll meet you here after the party tonight" Allie spoke, wiping a stray tear that fell from Kaz's eye. "Party?" she questioned, obviously as she had not been told as being in medical, she was isolated from the rest of the inmates.

"Yeah" Allie said, looking around at her fellow crew members, they had obviously not been informed of this either. Allie assumed that Sonia had only told her closest allies and crew, and it was strictly invite only. "It's a piss-up basically. To celebrate Sonia's mantle as top dog" Allie said, looking down at the floor knowing that she was going to act along with Bea to put up a charade of being happy for Sonia and being accepting of her claim to top dog, when in reality, she was sick to her stomach. Being an ex-user, it hit Allie hard when somebody overdosed. In reality, it could've been her. "Is Bea going to be there?" Kaz asked politely and quietly, possibly even the quietest Allie had ever heard her. She nodded before leaving the unit, letting her mother rest.

* * *

Time came to 8pm, and low and behold, Linda Miles opened the gate to H1 before nodding. Sonia had obviously paid her a lot of money as Smiles would've had to deactivate the cameras so that she could go and retrieve the guests for Sonia's gathering like some fucking valet. Linda didn't care, it would mean that she would have a lot of cash to spend at the brokers, and an even bigger possibility of getting something back. As Bea walked hand in hand with Allie, as this had become something that they both unconsciously did, Miles led them through to where Sonia was having her gathering.

An assortment of about ten liquor bottles were placed on the table, a stereo was blaring music and there was even a cake that Boomer laid her eyes upon the minute she went into the unit. The crew looked around, spotting a lot of girls from D Block, some of them still displaying physical injury as a result of the fight, their pain dulled by the liquor that Sonia had provided. As any wealthy woman would, she greeted Bea with a respectful handshake and giving an appreciative nod to the other woman for being there.

Bea moved her head towards the liquor, the rest of the crew following on. Liz went over to have a chat with Sonia as even though they had become distant, the two of them had remained friends even as Sonia did have her suspicions for being interested in what went on with Sonia on the outside. Boomer popped open a bottle of vodka before filling up plastic cups that had been provided and handing them out to the rest of H1. They then decided to raise a cup to Sonia for getting top dog, Bea nearly choking on the alcohol in disgust. Bea drank the rest of the alcohol in one go before walking over to Bea and pulling her aside. Bea remained on edge until Sonia grinned at her.

"I'm so glad that you have given me your support. It means a lot and to the women too. We all know how despicable Kaz was as a leader and I thank you for sticking by me when I have had to make hard choices by keeping my stance as top dog. It is draining but the power is somewhat a comfort to me, and the fact that I have a former top dog's appreciation means a lot to me" Sonia said in her little speech, almost sounding like a politician from the TV that says a whole lot of shit and then expects you to believe it. Bea just nodded and smiled at her before walking back to join Allie.

Bea knew that it was not wise to be consuming any alcohol that would affect her train of thought or judgment as she was meant to be having a meeting with Kaz later to discuss about what their future plans were an how they were going to get Sonia off the throne of top dog. Bea decided to go along with the original agreed plan and decided that she would make the most out of everyone's drunken state to start slowly turning people against Sonia.

Bea spotted a woman that went by the name of Jane Grieves. She was from C Block, a staggering five foot eleven with a blonde parting. She had green-blue eyes, and was recovering over the death of her mother who died from a heroin overdose. Jane was one of the first people to offer Bea support when Debbie died, and Bea was forever thankful for it, glad that even prison kept some nice humans. Everybody knew this but nobody had stopped her from drowning her sorrows in a bottle of tequila that Sonia had provided, as she sat, her body limp from all the alcohol.

Bea walked over to her as the corner was secluded, as she decided to not shock the tall blonde as she went and took a seat by her. Jane was not as incapacitated as she seemed, as she smiled when Bea walked over. Bea returned the favour before looking back at Jane's sad facial expression. "Hey, what's up?" Bea asked in a friendly manner with no threat or pressure in her voice whatsoever. Jane decided that it would be best to tell someone rather than bottle it all up, and her current state of mind did not really care about the repercussions if Sonia heard her.

"We all know Sonia protects Tina now for money. She lets these OD's happen because there is money in it. It's not fucking right" Jane spat with venom, Bea nodding her head. She needed a little more confirmation that that to know that she was against Sonia before making her move. "She's a fucking hypocrite...sometimes I think it would be better to have Kaz as top dog" Jane slurred, obviously feeling a little bit emotional and pissed off about the whole situation. Bea nodded and she understood. "Well...how about we make that a thing?" Bea asked supposedly. Jane lifted her head up and gave Bea a small smile. "But we'll keep it a secret and ask the other women if they think the same too?" Jane questioned. Bea nodded before standing up and saying "great minds think alike"

* * *

After a few hours, the party died down and it seemed that Bea had managed to get her first supporter which she was very proud of. She decided to make the anonymous ghost walk to Kaz's cell, but decided that she would need to drop Allie off first as the girl was too drunk for her own good. She dropped off the young blonde in Bea's cell, leaving her to detox from the alcohol. Bea smiled knowing at the fact that Allie would be complaining all of tomorrow about having a hangover, but Bea left no sympathy as the girl got changed into her pyjamas and got into Bea's bed.

Bea waited about an hour before making the journey to Kaz's cell, carefully avoiding any stray inmates from the party that were still drunk but conscious enough to ask Bea what she was doing wandering around at this time of night. She nearly got caught by Stella and a girl that also belonged to the hepatitis C crew as they made their way towards the showers to brush their teeth. Bea moved stealthily past them, not noticing her presence until Bea arrived at the gates of H3 where Kaz was hastily awaiting her arrival

* * *

Kaz was a little bit apprehensive to how the party went and she felt a little angry at the fact that she didn't really have a clue what was going on and had no sense of control or dominance over the situation. Her anger faded when she saw red locks come out of the shadows and greet her with a grin that went from ear to ear. Bea shook her hand through the bars and Kaz asked her promptly how the evening went.

"It went good. Sonia had a lot of booze and I saw that Jane Grieves. Her mum died from an overdose and she said that she would rather have you in charge rather than Sonia. She said that she thought it was wrong and she was going to help me try and recruit other people to create a secret uprising against her" Bea spoke, almost speaking as if they were planning a civil war against a violent dictator, which in the irony and many contexts, they were.

"That's fucking great news, Bea" Kaz beamed, but her smile fading when she realised that the main indicator for Jane's response was alcohol. "How do we know that she is going to stick to her promise?" Kaz asked, Bea's smile faltering slightly. "We are just going to have to hope. I am not going to pester her but I am simply going to ask her if she remembers our conversation and if so, is she willing to go ahead with what she said. If not, we'll have to strategize another way" Bea said, tapping her fingers in thought against the bars.

Kaz nodded before turning to head back to her unit before the redhead called her back, remembering to ask Kaz about the bright idea that she had been given earlier. "Kaz" the redhead began, yawning slightly as it dawned upon her what time it must've been. "I was thinking. You are bound to get more support if you have a democratic front. If me and you present ourselves as two like-minded people, we can create a Wentworth in which the women don't have to live in fear and live by certain rules. Those rules are created by two separate and supported parties" Bea finished, expecting Kaz's reaction to be one of anger and jealousy.

Kaz looked at Bea and saw that the woman was speaking in rational terms and with logic. Looking at how Bea lasted as a top dog, even though she was debatably the best top dog that Wentworth had to offer as she was the only one that did not allow drug dealers to traffic with impunity, it took a toll on her long term, mentally and physically. Kaz knew that she did not want to end up to that stage, and therefore thought that maybe Bea's idea was not so bad.

"Okay. But on a few terms before I go to bed" Kaz said, leaning a little bit closer to Bea through the bars and now in more of a whispered kind of tone. "If there is a problem within the women, it is dealt by both you and me. Anyone starts trouble, and its trouble with both of us. My problems are yours, vice-versa" Kaz stated, Bea nodding in agreement. "No drugs" Bea said, before letting Kaz carry on with the details of her arrangement. Kaz agreed with this, she knew that she did not want to have to rescue anymore girls and detox them like Allie, and she knew the real horror of what drugs did to people.

"Any decisions taken have to be dealt with the two of us. That's it" Kaz finished, waiting for Bea's response. The redhead smiled, knowing that she would have some sort of control or power over the women but she would not have to deal with the effects of it. She would finally be able to protect her crew. "You've got yourself a deal. Now, what are we going to do about getting supporters?" Bea asked, Kaz pondering in thought. Kaz knew the best thing to do would be to unsettle the women. "So, if you work from the inside as a double agent, getting people to go against Sonia and I work on the outside, getting the people who don't support her as strongly as others, we might have ourselves a little rebellion" Kaz grinned. Bea nodded, a Cheshire cat grin from ear to ear appearing on her face.

"Suits me, but how are you going to keep your crew safe? You are at danger now and Sonia Is bound to challenge you again as you have not set it in stone that you do not want to contest for top dog" Bea said, knowledge of how the throne was handed from one person to another. They typically submitted in a fight, but afterwards, there was another declaration from the former top dog to the new one that they were handing over the position. They would then ask if anyone had a problem with it, and in Bea's history of being at Wentworth, there never was.

Kaz wandered for a moment in her thoughts. "I think I will just keep my head down. I'll be coming to breakfast for the first time tomorrow and I'll be accompanied by my crew. Sonia won't start anything, she is too smart for that. She'll make a stand in the laundry or something like that, she'll find some reason to induce a fight with me" Kaz said, looking on sadly, knowing that it was likely that she was facing another beating soon.

Bea shook her head. "Sonia might not do that. She's different from any other top dog that Wentworth as seen. She's stuck up and uptight, and she is barely likeable. The only thing that is likeable is her wealth. I think if we move fast, she won't even have the chance to harm you" Bea stated, wiping a red curl away from her face. "So create a secret uprising quickly to wipe her out without any fighting?" Kaz suggested, Bea nodding. "Give it about two to three weeks. We'll see how things look and give it an overview. And Kaz" Bea said, as the blonde started walking off, clearly very tired and still very injured.

"When Sonia falls, and she will, we will need to be there for the women" Bea smiled. Kaz nodded and opened the door to her cell before saying "Say hi to Allie for me". Bea smirked at the thought of the young blonde who managed to make her forget about this situation instantly. Bea rushed to her cell, knowing that the young blonde was in her bed, waiting for her.


	9. Chapter IX - Strength in Numbers

**Chapter IX - Strength in Numbers**

 ***A/N:** **Sorry that I have not been able to give you more content. I have been very busy recently and unfortunately this will continue so I expect to be updating this every one to two weeks. I will be working on the next chapter this weekend however it may take me a while to finish it. Thank you to all those who have given me kudos and have stuck with this story. I appreciate it more than you will ever know. Again, thank you.***

It had been two weeks since Sonia's party in which she had managed to cement her power base and her top dog status with all the women in the prison. Nobody had contested to her, and Kaz had no public intentions of stepping up to the mantle. It turned out that luck was on Bea's side, and Jane Grieves had stuck to her promise. They had managed to turn seven of Sonia's women: Bea did not know them by name but they were friends with Jane and understood her distraught and as friends, they agreed to be faithful to their little secret rebellion. In fact, Jane had been key to getting the women onside. Bea had to be more cautious given her former top dog status and she found it a lot harder as she was still not trusted a lot within Sonia's ranks.

Sonia maintained about a crew of twenty or so women that she trusted highly throughout her time and stay at Wentworth. The other women that she included were just allies that were useful to have on her side, like Bea Smith, Lucy Gambaro and Tina Mercado. They were all public figures in Wentworth and it was good to have their support as it legitimised her rule for top dog and gave her a mutual respect from every single woman inside the compound. However, this respect seemed a little uneasy lately, and Sonia inferred that it was a lot to do with the events that had occurred over the last two weeks since her gathering with her crew and allies.

The last two weeks had seen a dramatic uprise in the amount of people who were using gear. This unnerved Bea, and especially Allie, as she was desperate not to have a slip and remain faithful in her promise to Bea. She just hoped that something wouldn't repeat and somehow she would end up with some life-ruining shit in her vains. She depended on her lover to protect her, and she knew that she would do the same. Bea knew that Allie would not consciously take drugs but the threat of another woman injecting her still followed her. The horror of Ferguson still lived with Bea, and she knew that she wasn't going to be able to deal with it again.

There had been a grand total of nine overdoses, all from the same gear. It was of a midnight-blue colour, nicknamed 'Panther, a new variant of heroin that was addictive as anything, and around Wentworth, it had become the new craze. Women who had not even touched drugs before were giving it a go and getting hooked: much to Sonia's delight as she was gaining massive profit from her share in Tina's business. She had made a grand fortune selling the gear as well as lighters, and of course the needles to inject it with. After about one week of selling this 'Panther', Tina had a steady flow of customers.

It was more accurate to say that she had about an eight of the inmates hooked on it, and she was bringing in more cash than she could use to buy even more Panther to replenish her stock. Tina had got herself a job on the cleaning crew, and the gear was hidden within a pink bottle that had a triangle marked on the back of the label of the bottle. Tina would then take the bags and stuff them in her trousers or bra before storing it in various safe locations around the prison. The money she had earned was passed via courier by laundry basket, directly to Sonia who was handling the steam press.

But just before selling, Tina had a free hour slot before she had to clean the showers. They would head to the showers, one of the girls blocking the door. They would then mix the floor cleaner that was given to them in the cart by the guards and place it into one gram bags. The girls then gave the bags to Tina who either stashed them or sold them later on. It was not a complex operation but nor was it so simple that they got caught. However, Tina knew her lucky streak would not last, and she could sense that something and was going to happen, and soon.

"Good morning, Mr. Jackson" Vera said as her deputy came in with a brief smile before closing the door to her office and sitting down in a chair next to Bridget Westfall. "I don't even need to tell you what this meeting is about do I" Vera said with a sad smile, Bridget and Will both nodding. They knew they were going to have to shut down the source quickly before the board got on to Vera and sacked her for doing a bad job. Her job was t protect these women and to make sure that they stayed safe in the duration of their sentence, and it was easier said then done, all three of them in the room knowing this for sure.

"Nine overdoses in the past week" Vera stated, looking at her files. It detailed every prisoner that had died from an overdose in the past two weeks. Only two of them had previous occurrences with drugs, so the fact that first time users were submitting themselves to this drug was worrying to say the least. "The women are calling it Panther" Bridget said, Vera quirking an eyebrow before turning to her computer. She typed quickly on the computer before confirming what she already knew. "Heroin".

Will looked at Vera, and then Bridget, and then back again. "Then it's Tina Mercado. Cindy Lou used to get involved with that before she died. Tina's obviously taken the reigns. How nostalgic" Will said sarcastically, knowing that women were dying from this drug. He felt a bit disgusted as he knew so many people that had died to heroin, most notably Debbie Smith. As he had said goodbye to her for Bea, this was a bit personal to him. Bridget nodded. "Franky used to have trouble with them" she spoke before Vera pushed a fleck of black hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear.

"Well, I say that we meet after dinner. We establish all possible routes that Tina could be trafficking her drugs through the prison. We then conform with the other prisoners to see if they know any information" Vera said, closing her files as she stood up. Bridget and Will both nodded, taking it as a dismissal before standing up and both leaving the room to resume to their duties. Vera sighed; she knew the culprit responsible, but all she needed was that tiny bit of evidence that would be able to shut down the supply route and hopefully convince Tina to stop selling drugs and ultimately ruining people's lives.

After dinner, Bea had spoken to Jane and had told everyone to meet in the showers during rec-time. This was strictly invite only, and everyone had to make sure that they were not being followed. Bea was very cautious about this, she did not want to be seen corresponding with Kaz as it would blow her cover and leave her and the rest of H1 at risk from Sonia's wrath. Jane understood this paranoia, and did as she was told. Thankfully, all the women who had said that they would stand up against Sonia adhered to their word and turned up when asked to. Prior to the meeting, Bea had asked Kaz to explain to them. She seemed very good at public-relations and it seemed fitting for Kaz to deliver the news.

Bea counted ten people including herself, Kaz and Jane. The women mumbled among the ranks before Kaz cleared her throat and everybody gave her undivided attention to her. "I'm not here as a power figure, but I think it's wrong that Sonia gets to protect Tina who is selling gear that is getting our friends hooked. I don't think it's right and I think we should make a stand" Kaz spoke, everybody nodding in agreement with a few "yeah's" from the women. Bea took this as her opportunity to speak to the women and to get a few things across to them which may increase the support that they needed.

"Me and Kaz are going up as a united and democratic front. Me and her leading the prison and listening to your problems and dealing with them together. No bullshit top dog, just a union that will save everyone a lot of shit" Bea said, all the women grinning at this new possible power establishment. All of the women started talking before Jane told them to simmer down. "Now, this is where we need your help".

Vera had come up with a mindmap of all the possible places that Tina would have been able to access and would have been able to traffic a steady flow of drugs through. She had come up with laundry and the kitchen so far, but it baffled her as to any other ways that it could come in. She decided that it was best to take a rest so that her brain could conjure up any other ways of how possibly drugs could get in. There is no way that she could get it in through the mail as that was thoroughly checked. As Vera pondered, she was interrupted by her thoughts by Will entering her office. "Instead of you doing all the work, why don't you ask Smith?" Will suggested, Vera nodding in agreement. Will took the hint and went to go and find her.

"We need you to find your mates who also think the same. We don't want some hypocritical ice queen that only protects her interests and her money and doesn't give a shit about the women. Once we get about another ten of Sonia's women, she will be weak and disliked. Then, me and Bea will make our move and we will establish a nice and kind democracy for all the women in here" Kaz smiled, the women nodding. "Now off you go. Don't go blabbing, remember what we said" Bea shouted just as the women were leaving. "Let's hope that worked" Bea said sighing before Kaz nodded. "Here's hoping" the fiery blonde said before exiting the showers.

As Kaz had just come out of the showers, she came to find a red-faced Will who had obviously just been looking all around the prison for somebody. Kaz knew just by instinct that he would be looking for Bea, so she just gestured at the shower door before Will saw the redhead that he had been searching for the last fifteen minutes. "Governor's office?" Bea suggested, Will nodding but also puffing as he led up the way to Vera's office. It was a slow walk but Bea was thankful that she was recovering extremely well since the attack with Ferguson. Her physical injuries had gone, but she still had panic attacks in her sleep.

"Smith for you, governor" Will said as he opened the door. The redhead hesitantly stepped inside, wondering what it was this time that the governor required her presence for. "Tina Mercado" Vera uttered as the door was closed, Bea still standing by the door and not wanting to move. The redhead knew that the governor would be wanting someone's head for bringing in the drugs, and Bea was conflicted with telling the governor or keeping the information she knew to herself. She knew that if she lagged again, she would not be so lucky.

"Governor. I'll make you a deal. Get Proctor up here and we'll make some arrangement" Bea offered, Vera a bit taken aback by Bea's statement. She decided to be smart and did not question as to why she wanted Proctor here, but instead radioed in for one of her officers to go H3 and collect her. Bea knew that Sonia was going to have to be taken down and it was going to have to be quite significant in order to take her from the top dog mantle. Unfortunately, there was only one way she knew how, and she knew that Proctor and the governor were not going to like it.

After about two minutes of short waiting, the short blonde stepped in the office but felt immediately comforted by seeing Bea sat down in font of the governor. Kaz took the hint and knew that this was about Tina, and Bea and her revealing their plans to the governor. Kaz and Vera had never got on, and there was a hint of hostility still in the air, and in this instance, Bea was the peacemaker between them both. "Me and Proctor have had a plan to get Sonia off the top dog mantle ever since she stepped up" Bea stated, Vera surprised by this.

Nobody except all the women that were on their side knew about the whole arrangement so this was news to Vera. She was pleasantly surprised as she knew that somebody rational was planning to make a step for top dog again. "We want to represent a democratic and united front with a few policies. One of them being no drugs" Bea smiled, Vera instantly knowing where Bea was going with this. She was going to need something in return in order to get to the top.

"We're waiting. We've got a few women that are convincing Sonia's women that they have backed the wrong horse and that they don't want to be in the crew of somebody who's pure interests are profit and about themselves" Kaz stated, Vera eying the pair suspiciously. She was a bit surprised by the sudden alliance of the two power figures, but knew that the one thing that brought them together was Allie Novak. Vera then suddenly got confused. "What do you mean?" Vera said, Bea looking at Kaz, but the blonde understanding that she did not know about Tina and Sonia's alliance.

"Sonia has a share in Tina's business and protects her. That's how there has been no repercussions about the overdoses" Kaz stated, Vera cursing under her breath for not putting two and two together. "Tina gets the gear in through the cleaning supplies and then dishes it out. The cut gets given to Sonia through the laundry" Bea said, Vera rapidly scribbling down all this new information to her. She was amazed at how much that they knew that she didn't. As governor, it was her job to know everything that went on. In practicality, it did not work that way.

"So, how are you going to shut them down then?" Vera queried, Kaz looked over at Bea. "There is only one way that I know how that will work effectively enough for the long run" Bea said, the other two perking up to listen to Bea's proposed idea. "The women will deliberately show their dislike towards Sonia. Hopefully, she will then get very angry and order some sort of meeting. With this meeting, we'll be able to stand up to her. But the problem is, that means violence will be involved" Bea stated, Kaz and Vera both looking on.

A governor knew that she had to play dirty in order to keep control of the women but she knew that her conscience would not be clear if she agreed to have somebody brutally injured all for the sake of power. She would not be a dutiful governor if she did so. "Are you suggesting that I let you commit an act of violence?" Vera snorted, almost laughing but knowing that she was going to have to be lenient. "I don't know, governor. Do you want to keep your job?" Bea questioned with honesty. Vera frowned at the redhead, knowing that she hated being proved wrong. Kaz remained silent for the exchange of comments, knowing better than to get involved.

"Bea is right. There is no other way that the union will set in stone unless we make an example of Sonia. It's an unwritten rule that all the women follow by which puts us in an unfortunate position. However it will be better for the long run. Surely you can see that" Bea proposed, almost begging. Bea just wanted some sort of peace and to keep her head down for the rest of her sentence, knowing she was going to spend her life behind these bars. Vera pondered before nodding slowly. "What do you need?" she asked, almost in a whisper as it was unearthly quiet.

"We are going to have to gather the women in some sort of area so I guess we will wait until it's Sonia's call. That way we'll get all the women and it won't look so suspicious. Sonia will not be expecting an attack if she summons everyone else. It's the perfect ambush" Kaz mused, Vera very impressed by both of the women's smarts. Vera knew better than to ask too many questions. As she wiped a line of sweat off her brow, she decided to dismiss the two women. "Send Doreen from H1 to tell me where you will be having your meeting. I will make sure the guards are rostered away and the CCTV scrubbed" Vera said, the two women nodding.

Vera had no idea what she had just signed up to, but she hoped that it would be enough for her to keep her job. She had worked too hard to let it go now and she knew that she was going to have to be lenient in some circumstances in order to be able to play the long game. She understood that a union between Kaz and Bea would be better for the women and more convenient for her. For Bea, this one was personal to her. She lost Debbie and she knew that she could not let Allie succumb to the same fate by having drugs loose on the prison. For Kaz, it was the same, she could not stand to see women being hooked to the poison that would eventually lead them to their inevitable deaths.

They all just hoped that the women would listen to them and what they had to say. They all had voices and this was their opportunity to use them. Bea knew that if they had got enough of the women's support, there would be strength in numbers and therefore it would make getting Sonia off the throne of top dog a lot easier and more efficiently for her and Kaz. She just hoped that it would work.


	10. Chapter X - By the Book

**Chapter X - By the Book**

 ***A/N: Working on XI during the course of this week ready for you all to enjoy at the weekend. I'll be writing chapters in advance from now on and I now have plans for up to chapter XVII which is 17 in normal numbers. I hope you enjoy this chapter. *PS - next chapter will have smut in. ***

Chapter X – By the Book

Recruitment had gone well for Bea and Kaz. They had managed to gain about five more people from Sonia's crew who had admitted that they had had enough of Sonia's totalitarian ruthlessness, and that they were willing to stand beside Bea and Kaz in order to take her down. In honesty, Sonia was a tyrant. But even tyrants have a weak spot. One thing Bea had learned since her time at Wentworth was to build up a profile of how somebody would act by tracking their thought process. She knew that Sonia was going to bottle it if enough women made a stand to her and challenged her in a public place.

Kaz seemed to agree when the two further staged a meeting after the correspondence with the governor. Allie was over the moon to see the two people who she loved most in the entire world getting along and she was forever thankful for it. However, she was not thankful for the circumstances that brought them together. She knew that this was dangerous and that if it did not go the way that Bea and Kaz intended, they could suffer dire consequences, and that is what scared her the most.

Just after evening count, Maxine had promised a cash prize for Smiles if she allowed the women of H1 to meet in the showers and the women of Sonia's crew who secretly supported Bea and Kaz's program to take Sonia away from the mantle of top dog. Of course, she obliged, and allowed them out of the unit and went to go and grab the other women that Maxine had requested. Once in the showers, Kaz and Bea stood by the sinks with Allie democratically sat on the sinks in between the two of them. The women gathered round on instinct, knowing that this would mean that they would be making a move on Sonia soon, and that this meeting was imperative if they requested everyone to be there.

"Alright. This is it" Kaz stated in a loud whisper so that everyone could hear but so that they would maintain their secrecy. "We've got enough people to take on Sonia now. And this is how we are going to do it" the blonde said, nodding towards Bea as the women directed their attention onto the redhead. "Sonia is going to crumble under pressure. We need her to crumble in order for us to take her on" Bea expressed. The women nodded in understanding before letting Bea continued.

"Jane and two of you are going to confront Sonia tomorrow in the middle of the mess hall when there a lots of women in there. This will anger Sonia being challenged publicly, and I suspect there will be consequences" Bea affirmed, the women looking on in nervousness and anxiety. "This is where the plan comes in. We suspect that Sonia will call a meeting for all the women to ground her stance as top dog once more, because as a tyrant, she'll want to constantly exert her power over the women. The women of this prison are like sheep and follow the herd, so if everybody seems to be contesting her, the rest will soon to follow and express their opinions freely" Kaz disclosed.

"Jane, pick two women who you want to come with you" Bea commanded, Jane picking a girl from D Block called Sarah, and Mel from Kaz's crew. "Right. If this goes to plan, we'll make a public demonstration of Sonia in front of everybody" Kaz announced, Bea continuing on. "We are going by the book. It's the only way we can get her to step down. After that, there's no more violence in here" Bea spoke, the women smiling in gratitude. Shortly after, the women made their way back to their units.

Kaz nodded at Bea to let her know that she was returning to her unit. Bea followed suit as her and her lover made their way back to the unit. Just before Smiles locked them up, Bea told Smiles to notify the governor that it was going to be tomorrow. Smiles, obviously confused, just nodded and locked them in the unit. Shortly afterwards, Bea found herself being dragged towards her cell by a tall blonde with a grin on her face, and her eyes full of desire.

Bea woke up with her cheeks flushed and Allie led next to her, both of them fully nude and wrapped in Bea's red blanket. Bea loved waking up like this; she had never felt more loved or complete ever, and ironically, she never would have gotten this unless she hadn't come to Wentworth. The redhead redirected her focus for she would need all of it today, after all, this was the day where she was about to rip a tyrant off her pedestal. Allie stirred next to her and gave Bea the biggest smile, knowing the redhead would need every bit of encouragement today. After all, she was diving back into the warzone she had been in previously before; contesting for top dog.

The blonde stroked her lover's cheek before beginning the morning with a long, slow, passionate kiss. The redhead stroked Allie's hair at the nape of her neck before rising slowly to put some clothes on. Bea was fully aware that Allie would spend every waking moment checking her out and she smirked at the thought. Just to confirm her theory, she turned round to look at the blonde, who low and behold, was staring at her. "What?" Allie asked with a grin, Bea chuckling to herself. Allie then simultaneously got out of bed to put some clothes on in preparation for the count.

It was a slow, nervous yet agonizing walk to the mess hall that morning. The nerves adorning Bea were slowly eating her up inside, the only comfort being that Allie was holding her hand and providing a source of comfort to her. As Bea opened the door into the hall, the tension was immediate. Bea peered over to Sonia who had a look of confusion and spite displayed on her face. Bea turned to look at Allie who gave her a look of reassurance. Maxine patted Bea on the back before whispering in her ear.

"We'll get your trays, love. You and Allie go sit down" she assured, Bea nodding in thanks as the lovers took their seats at their normal table. It was eerily quiet in the mess hall, the silence adorning the atmosphere. Bea remembered the last time it was silent like this was when the panic button was pressed. As Maxine came and gave Bea and Allie their trays of food, the redhead directed her gaze over to the doors.

Jane, Mel and Sarah had all just walked in. "Shit" Bea cursed under her breath, Allie squeezing her hand. Only a handful of the women knew what was just about to commence, but by the looks on the faces of the trio, they all knew that shit was about to go down. Jane stomped over, quickly followed by Mel and Sarah. She swiped Sonia's tray off the table before the tall black-haired woman stood up, Juice also by her side. Juice was about to swing for Jane until Sonia held her back with one arm.

"You're a fucking disgrace. Nine overdoses and you've done fuck all!" Jane spat, Sonia turning to Juice and laughing. The women were all mentally disgusted by Sonia's careless reaction, and more intrigued on what Jane had to say. Bea's heart was racing as Kaz looked on in pride as Jane carried out what she had been told to do by the letter. "Sit. Down." Sonia said curtly. "You're protecting the bitch who's fucking trafficking it in!" Jane yelled at Sonia, Bea taken aback at the anger demonstrated by Jane.

Sonia scoffed before leaning across the table. "I suggest you remember who you're speaking to" she said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Yeah, we're listening to a hypocritical fuckwit" Mel shouted, Juice smacking her across the face but not hard enough that she fell to the floor. The whole room was flabbergasted about the altercation but nobody decided to intervene. Sarah looked at Kaz who nodded and took the girls away.

Kaz then shoved a spoonful of beans in her mouth before nodding to Bea to make her move. Allie tapped Bea's hand: the redhead standing up and taking a deep breath before making her way over to Sonia's table, Sonia still stood up looking around the room. She noticed Bea and gave her a look of disorientation. "Need some advice?" Bea quipped, Sonia giving her a frown as if to say 'I can handle it on my own'. "Teach her a lesson" Bea said, before walking away, Sonia giving an appreciative smile.

"Everyone listen up!" Sonia shouted, all of the women being obedient but uneasy at being faced with the facts that Sonia was partly responsible for all of the overdoses. It sparked a hidden anger in some of the women. "Laundry after lunch. If you don't turn up, there will be serious consequences" she announced, the women all nodding to show that they understood and were going to do as they were told. Sonia was left uneasy by the public challenge of her position, and she felt discombobulated.

She couldn't believe that those three women had had the guts to challenge her in front of everyone, and she could not help but think about the repercussions of the women possibly questioning that she was protecting Tina. She knew that she had to listen to Bea because if she did not do something fast, her power was going to be at risk very quickly. The older woman sat down, Juice looking at her, reading her like a book. "What are we gonna do?" she questioned, Sonia quirking an eyebrow, her anger physically in dissolution. "I'm going to teach Jane a lesson. Nobody challenges my authority and gets away with it" Sonia said, especially raising her voice with the last sentence to make sure that everyone had heard her.

Bea found it ironic how Sonia shared qualities of her two former nemesis' - Jacs Holt and Joan Ferguson. She mused on how similar they were and this led to a fire being ignited in Bea: she knew that she ould not let Sonia get away with protecting a woman that was the sole responsibility of nine women's deaths in here. She knew it was wrong, and she knew that Sonia did not have a moral compass. She was a psychopath; one that needed to be taken down.

The governor had already had a meeting in the morning with her deputy and Bridget. She had explained to them the whole power contest for top dog, and had explained her very dodgy plans for how she would be able to maintain a stable leadership if she allowed an act of violence to be committed willingly. Of course, Will and Bridget understood her reasoning but it was more down to the fact that if things did not go to plan, it could end up with very bad consequences.

Vera already knew what was going down, she didn't even need Smith or Proctor to tell her. Will Jackson had been on duty in the mess hall and had heard the conversations between Jane and Sonia, and Sonia's plans for her in the laundry. Will knew that Vera was going to have to play dirty in order for the power play in Wentworth to be in some sort of stability for the long term with Smith and Proctor at the head. The job of governor was morally challenging, Vera knowing this all too well.

She knew that she was going to have to negotiate with prisoners because there is no such thing as a prison where all the inmates do as they are told. She knew that she was going to have to induce some bad to get the outcome as good. For instance, making sure that all the officers were nowhere near the laundry this afternoon was one.

The women of the prison followed Sonia's order with conviction. They knew what was going to happen and they knew that they were going to have to witness somebody suffer just simply because they expressed their opinion. Unequivocally, they were all mentally challenging what Jane had said earlier. It would make sense if Sonia was protecting Tina. Jane's statement had unsettled Sonia's power, and slowly, Jane was beginning to get the women on her side. Bea and Kaz were both happy as their part of the plan had succeeded so far, they just hoped that it would work for the rest of it.

After a short walk back to the unit, Maxine came into Bea's cell, accompanied by Allie. Maxine was holding a small shiv about the size of a pencil and offering it to Bea. "Just in case. We don't want you getting hurt" Maxine said with a sad smile, coming to the realisation that it was very likely that anybody could get hurt. Bea took the shiv and hid in the waistband of her tracksuit bottoms, Allie looking on in concern. The redhead grabbed her lover's face to look her into her eyes. "It's going to be okay, beautiful" Bea soothed, kissing her lover's cheek.

Boomer nodded, signalling that it was time to go to the laundry room. Bea took a deep breath before Boomer led the way, Bea and Maxine walking side by side, quickly followed by Allie, Liz and Doreen. The hallways were damn near empty, suggesting that women had compiled into the laundry room, all wanting to be present to prevent facing Sonia's wrath. As Bea could see the doors to the laundry, her breath quickened. The adrenaline was pulsing through her veins like it had done once before when she fought Franky for supposedly, the mantle of top dog.

Realistically, she had only done it so that she could escape the prison complex in her conquest to murder Brayden Holt. As her hands gripped around the handle that led to the laundry, she found herself unable to open it due to the amount of people that were actually in the room itself. It was heaving, but people had managed to create a circle around Sonia. As soon as Bea entered, Sonia gave a smile towards her in appreciation as Bea saw that Sonia was now going to follow through with the advice that Bea had given her.

The tall black-haired woman gave a abrupt nod to Juice who then grabbed Jane from behind and dragged her next to Sonia. Soon enough, Juice began to repeatedly land blows on Jane. The woman was screaming out in pain and a few of the women had looked away, not prepared to witness such a sadistic act of violence. Bea looked towards Kaz. A mutual agreement between them mentally decided that it was time to intervene. Bea found it within herself to grab the shiv that was in the waistband of her bottoms to run through the crowd and slash Juice in the kidneys. She then decided to absent-mindedly continue stabbing the large woman who had now crumpled on the floor in pain.

Kaz had gripped Sonia by the hair and was smashing her on the floor by her head. However, Sonia had managed to punch Kaz in the ribs, and soon enough, the blonde found herself on the floor again. Allie was screaming at Bea, the women holding her back. It was Wentworth custom for the leaders to fight and not their followers, and therefore that rule was adhered. Juice was laying with blood gushing out of her back, her hands trying to stem the bleeding. Unknowingly, Vera was looking at the altercation on a monitor and was horrified.

She knew that inmates could get violent but to see it for herself was another thing. Bea had grabbed Sonia by the hair and grabbed her face and smashed it into her knee. The redhead then proceeded to slam her face into the glass in one of the drying machines. The women looked on in shock horror as Sonia now had blood coming out from her face as there was a gash just above her left eye. Bea was furious, she found all her anger about Debbie's overdose and had just compiled it into thrashing Sonia. If that wasn't enough, the redhead was determined to give her something that would remind her of this fight for the rest of her life.

"Hold her!" Bea yelled to Kaz who had now got up off the floor and did as she was told. Sonia was slowly losing the energy to keep fighting, but that did not resist her trying to move as Kaz held her in a headlock. Bea got the shiv and drew a sharp line down Sonia's cheek before yelling: "That's for all those nine women who've died because of you!". Surprisingly, the women started cheering for Bea and Kaz and were spurring them on. Bea knew that it wasn't going to be enough so she decided to do things the old fashioned way and dragged Sonia over to the steam press.

The woman was screaming in pain but was too tired to even fight back. "Doing this by the book" said Bea as she placed her hands in the steam press before giving a nod to Kaz. Without any hesitation, the fiery blonde pulled down on the press as it contained Sonia's hands and burnt them. The woman screamed out even louder as Juice made her way out of the laundry and presumably to medical. As Kaz lifted the steam press, Sonia fell to her hands and knees before Bea delivered a violent kick to the face.

Bea gave one look to the women and the cheering eventually died down. "Now I want you to tell the women that you're stepping down" Bea spat with venom, the older woman looking at Bea with arrogance. "Like hell" she whispered with no energy left. Kaz took it upon herself to stand on Sonia's hands before she did as she was told. "I'M STEPPING DOWN!" Sonia screamed as tears fell down her face and the burning pain was pulsing in her hands.

The woman had obviously been hurt enough and Bea gave that one look to Kaz that made her withdraw her feet off Sonia's hands. "Me and Kaz run this prison now. You fuck with either of us, and you'll end up like her. We'll go to war for every single one of you. Don't fuck us around" Bea stated, the women clapping in compliance at the new leadership role. It took all of Sonia's energy to get up and walk to medical but Bea had no remorse for her. She did not even feel guilty. She knew that her and Kaz did what they had to do to a tyrant before more people ended up dying.

"No more violence. This is the end of it!" Kaz shouted over the clapping, the women cheering. Kaz looked over with a smile at Bea. The redhead returned the gesture before shaking her hand in front of the other women. "Nice de-ja-vu, Bea" Maxine said, Bea obviously confused. "You said that before the fire. Boomer..." Maxine spoke, Bea nodding. "I guess that's the end of it then" Bea said, sighing. Liz came over to offer some support. "You just make sure that you don't get into anymore fights from now on" the older blonde said, Bea smiling.

"Are you hurt?" Allie asked as H1 was all stood round Bea. The women and Kaz had made their way out of the laundry. "No, not even a bruise" Bea stated, Allie smiling, gladly knowing that Bea had came out okay. "No more violence" Bea announced, throwing the shiv to the side. "Come on, let's go" Allie smirked, leading Bea by the hand back to H1.


	11. Chapter XI - Aftermath

**Chapter XI: Aftermath**

 ***A/N: There is going to be a lot of drama that is coming with the next few chapters. I apologise for not uploading frequently, as I have been planning for the whole novel during the course of this week. Warning, here is** ** _smut_** **in this chapter. I hope you enjoy.**

News of what happened in the laundry spread around the prison like wildfire, and by the time they had gotten out of the laundry room, people were clapping and congratulating Bea for defeating Sonia as top dog. The women were just glad that they were liberated from somebody as controlling as Sonia. Allie had gotten her and Bea shouted at by numerous correctional officers as she practically sprinted her way back to H1 holding her lover's hand. Allie didn't even care if she was being obvious, she knew that everybody would be congratulating Bea later for their win over Sonia, but for Allie, she had her own little congratulating party for Bea.

Kaz Proctor felt victorious. She had managed to pick the right allies and finally, the prison would now have a stable leadership which would be better for them in the long run. When there were drugs through the prison, Kaz's conscience was not clear, and she felt eternally guilty for allowing it to happen. She vowed that she would never let anything like that happen again, and now she had Bea Smith at her side, she was going to be twice as successful. She knew that in all, somebody had to be at the top, because there was always going to be somebody that was yearning for that power over the women. She was just glad that she knew that the prison was in the control of people who knew what they were doing.

As she turned the corner to enter her unit, she sat down at the edge of the couch, quickly followed by the members of her crew. "We did it!" Kaz exclaimed, her crew joining her in a jumble of high fives and fist bumps. She couldn't help the smile that was coming off her face; she was like a Cheshire cat with a grin from ear to ear. Secretly, her crew admired her for what she did when she decided to put all the tension between her and Bea behind. It had been most beneficial to both crews, and Allie in particular. It meant that she could have the best of both worlds. But above all, it meant that the women did not have to be divided and take an side to contest for top dog.

"Time to give you your own congratulation party" Allie smirked as she kissed Bea with such a passion that Allie had her pushed up against the door of the cell. Bea moaned unconsciously as their mouths danced with one another in unison, Allie's hands threaded through red curls. Allie pressed herself up against Bea more, eliciting a moan from the redhead as it deepened their kiss. As they finally pulled apart, Bea laughed among herself, gasping for breath. "Best party I could ask for" Bea grinned as Allie placed her hands around Bea's neck. "We haven't even got to the best bit yet" Allie winked, Bea looking mockingly shocked. "Why don't you show me?" the redhead replied coyly.

It took the young blonde half a millisecond to have her lips pressed against Bea's again. Allie had her left hand lightly squeezing Bea's breast, the redhead thoroughly enjoying it, as the blonde used her right hand on Bea's hip to guide her back to the bed. As the lovers collapsed on the bed, Allie pulled her lips away from Bea's to pull off her own top, Bea growling at the sight of seeing Allie in her bra. Bea had no idea where all this sexual confidence had come from, it just seemed so natural to her now, and she did not even realise how much of a turn on it was for Allie.

Allie had been with many women in her time, but Bea felt different. She was sure it was the same for the redhead given her previous relationship, but for Allie, she had never been loved so completely by someone, no one had ever cared for her. All of these things Bea did, and this willing devotion to her just made the young blonde love her even more. Allie just loved the way that Bea touched her. It was in a way that nobody had before, and in essence, some of these feelings were new to her too. She concluded that she was head over heels in love with Bea Smith, probably more than your average person could comprehend.

As the young blonde was led on top of her, Bea sat up straight so that she could press her lips against Allie's midsection. For Bea, she loved touching the younger blonde and found herself hungry for the reactions that were elicited from it. The redhead dragged her tongue all over the blonde's skin, not realising how much it was arousing Allie. The blonde then placed her hands through Bea's hair, pulling her back, before pulling her into a long and deep passionate kiss. Allie moaned loudly, not realising how loud she actually was being, until Boomer knocked on the door, the two of them sprang apart, stunned at the interruption.

"Can you like get to the fucking because I wanna hear" Boomer cackled, Allie in a fit of laughter on the floor and the redhead scowling. "She's fucking hilarious" Allie giggled as she finally pulled herself up from the floor as she fell off the bed. "She just fucking ruins it all the time" Bea finally giving a sly smile after she saw the ear to ear grin on Allie's face. Allie removed her pants before climbing back on top of Bea, unclasping her bra as she did so. Bea's eyes were hooded with black, showing just how much desire and lust she had for her lover.

Bea took this moment to take her lovers left breast in her mouth while she rolled the other nipple in between her fingers. "Fuck" the blonde moaned, extremely enjoying the feelings that Bea was getting from her. Allie pushed her lover away from her to quickly do away with all of Bea's clothing. Allie then decided to lying on top of Bea, their lips touching and their bodies moulded together. Allie gasped as their breasts touched accidentally, her nipples hardening underneath the touch. The redhead then decided to flip them over before dipping her tongue inside her lover's mouth. Bea's tongue brushed lightly over her lovers before she moved down to take her lover's bottom lip in her mouth.

Bea then peppered the spot that she bit with tender kisses. Allie decided to let Bea take control, after all, she deserved a nice present after that horrendous fight. Bea moved down to kiss along Allie's jaw, the blonde gasping yet again at the wonderful feeling of Bea's body pressing against hers. The redhead left numerous marks and bites down the side of Allie's neck, where she decided to stop and graze her teeth over her lover's pulse point. Allie moaned loudly, and Bea couldn't help but smirk at the reactions that she was getting. Bea raised herself from the spot that she was at to meet Allie's eyes which were usually a sky blue colour. Now, the older woman could see that they were almost black.

Bea moved her mouth over to her lover's ear before whispering in her ear "Time to get my present then". Bea grinned at the goosebumps that were now appearing on Allie's skin, the younger woman shivering at Bea's raspy voice in her ear. Sometimes she could swear that she could get off on hearing Bea's voice alone. Allie shuttered her eyes on hearing that voice. A pool of wetness could not be found between Allie's thighs: she was so turned on by Bea alone that her just doing that enhanced her arousal. She just wanted Bea to take her there and then, but didn't want to push things too far seeming as they had literally only started having sex since after the Freak incident.

Bea glided her hands down between the navel of Allie's breasts down to a trimmed patch of curls before her fingers were coated in Allie's arousal. Bea gasped at the nice and familiar feeling. "You're so wet" Bea whispered hotly against Allie's ear, their eyes locking in a mixture of intimacy, passion and lust. Bea smirked as Allie moaned when her fingers dipped experimentally into her lover's entrance but not going fully in. Bea felt a wave of confidence over her and suddenly, she felt the need to have a bit of encouragement in order to give her lover what she wanted.

Allie knew that Bea was trying to tease her, but she knew that she needed to succumb to Bea's fingers and soon. "Pl-please baby" Allie begged, Bea quirking an eyebrow at her lover. "Please what?" Bea grinned cunningly, getting the reaction she so desired from her lover. "I-I need you" Allie managed to get out through various staggered breaths at the feeling over her lovers fingers moving lazily against her core. Allie used both of her hands to grab Bea's head to bring their lips together in a frenzied passion. It was then Bea's turn to moan, the two of them no longer caring who could hear. It's not like they wanted to hide it anymore anyway.

Bea then decided to free her lover of her relentless teasing, and glided two fingers inside her lover. "Fuck" Allie moaned as she scratched her nails across Bea's back as one of her hands grabbed at her ass. Bea found and easy rhythm inside her lover, curling her fingers and twitching them every so often to find her lover's hips buckling. It didn't take long until Allie practically screamed at the pleasure that Bea had created from her as she came undone. Bea gave her lover a long and slow kiss before she left her slowly. Allie felt her wetness pool but she felt as if she was going to pass out with exertion.

Allie had no clue how she did it but it was like every time they had sex, Bea literally managed to fuck the energy out of her, not that she was complaining. Bea placed a kiss on Allie's forehead before pulling her beloved red blanket and draping it over the two of them. They basked in an easily post-orgasmic silence before their liason was interrupted once again but this time by Ms. Miles knocking on the door. "Novak, I don't want to know what you are doing in there but you have a visitor in ten minutes" she shouted through the other side of the door. Bea could hear the other occupants of H1 laughing as Allie sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Oh shit" Allie said as she gave her lover a peck on the cheek before throwing her clothes on quickly. "Who's visiting you?" Bea asked suspiciously, knowing that this was the second time that Allie had had a visitor. She did want to know but she didn't want to come across as paranoid or too over protective. "I'll tell you later. I've got to go" Allie quipped as she practically ran out of the cell before winking at Boomer on her way out, just to rub it in that she had just got off and Boomer still had no success. Bea knew she hadn't visited the governor last time she had to leave. She was visiting someone.

She put her clothes on and thought that maybe she was reading too much into it. She knew that if it was something that she should know, then Allie would have told her. As Bea made her way out of her cell, she found Boomer sulking on the couch with Maxine and Liz laughing about some woman on the TV that had fell over while reading out the weather forecast. "Today in Wentworth, another shitty day in prison" Boomer said sulkily, still jealous that Bea and Allie had got some action and she didn't get any. The redhead didn't really pay any attention until she listened to what Boomer had to say.

It saddened her because she knew that all her friends would leave her at some point or another and get out of prison. She then felt a tear prick her eyes she knew that Allie would leave her one day and that she would be left all alone to rot in prison. Bea shook her head at the thought, desperate not to start crying in front of all her friends. She stood up from her chair and decided to take a walk and get some fresh air to clear her thoughts, well, as much as you could for prison.

The tattooed brunette had a grin from ear to ear when she saw Allie enter the visitors room. The two of them quickly embraced in a hug before Franky decided to do her usual routine of having a dig at Allie. "You look a bit flustered blondie" Franky smirked, Allie returning the smirk and the wink. "Christ...how long ago?" Franky laughed, picking up on what the blonde was trying to indirectly say. Allie looked over to the clock in the visitors room before shrugging her shoulders. "Hmm...fifteen minutes?" she said with a grin. Franky shook her head. "I can see why Red picked you" she smiled before turning to look at her files, Allie beaming at the compliment.

"Right so, my boss, Jane, has agreed to let me take on this case as it is probably one of the biggest cases that we can take on. It's gonna benefit you, Red and me in one way or another. This is gonna be history, but the question is trying to be able to make it happen" Franky said, looking up to see Allie nodding her head in understanding. "Now, there are various loopholes in Red's case. Might suggest that there was a mole in Melbourne Police that destroyed evidence. We'll have to dig up an inquiry which will take some time" Franky stated.

"Now, this is gonna cause a whole shitstorm. And I am gonna need to get some concrete evidence in order to be able to open it up as an official case and start filing for inquiries. Now I am gonna do everything I can to make sure that Red might be able to see the sky outside of these walls one day, but you need to make sure that she doesn't get herself into shit. It's not gonna help me if we have evidence of her assaulting inmates recently. That's what the court will be arguing against me for" the brunette said, placing a stray lock of her fringe behind her ear. "Once I have all my cases out of the way, this becomes priority" she finished, Allie nodding.

"I just can't believe that there is even the slight chance that she might be able to get out of here one day" Allie smiled shyly, Franky nodding. "It's a chance kid. Oh and before you go, you are gonna have to get someone to forge the parole form. We all know Bea isn't going to sign it because she's stubborn, so you'll have to find someone" Franky said, standing up and bringing the blonde in for a hug. Allie nodded before turning back to enter the prison.

Since the takeover of Kaz and Bea, it seemed that tension had calmed down a lot. There were less fights than ever, and everybody seemed to be getting on peacefully. Sonia was isolated inside medical and it didn't look like she was going to be released anytime soon due to the extent of her injuries. The majority of the junkies had gone cold turkey, which had resulted in Vera slotting them in order to prevent them from anyone else. However, Bea and Kaz both knew that they were going to have to permanently eradicate the drug problem but on a non violent basis.

They knew that if they were going to be hypocritical after only just getting the top dog status, it would rile up the women and there would be numerous fights for top dog, resulting in absolute ruthlessness and anarchy. They had to be strategic in their planning. Bea and Kaz had alike minds and both recognised this as a problem, and as a result, they called a meeting at H1 that night. Bea and Allie were led on the sofa, Kaz was sat on the table where her crew took seats around it, and the rest of H1 were either sat on the armchair or standing up. "Right so, we need a non-violent way of getting Tina rid of her stash" Kaz stated, all the women nodding.

"She is going to open up a supply route soon, and the junkies will be circling in. There is not many more ways other than those that she had already been caught out on" Maxine stated, all of the women listening to her. "Maxine's right. We need to find out how she's gonna get the gear" Allie said, Kaz looking towards her adopted daughter in agreement. "So, we spy on her" Bea offered. "Find out her supply route...we stop it and then the junkies will be angry at her" Mel spoke. "Good plan. We see what her daily routine is, then we pick it apart to find out how she gets the gear in" Kaz said, the women agreeing.

"Good job, guys" Bea said, standing up and offering her hand out to Kaz. The older blonde shook it compliantly before she spoke. "We're having a party of our own tomorrow. Invite only. It's after count so Smiles will come and get you" Kaz smiled, Bea returning the favour. Boomer clapped in excitement like a small child, the rest of H1 looking happy at this newfound alliance between the two of them. "We'll be coming, I can assure you" Bea said, nodding over to Boomer who now had a Cheshire-cat like grin. The H3 crew then left, leaving H1 to dawn on the prospects of getting Tina out of Wentworth and having a party tomorrow.

The crew resided to sitting down and watching some crappy TV. Bea was sat down with Allie led on her lap. Bea was playing with Allie's hair without realising, the blonde loving the nurturing touches that she elicited from Bea. Maxine and Boomer were chatting about children and Boomer still expressing her want to have children. Doreen and Liz were talking about Doreen's move to Perth, which was still going through the process. Bea looked around to see and be reminded of yet again, that all her friends were going to have lives and that she was going to be staying here. However, with the slightest bit of optimism, she promised herself that she would enjoy it while she could.


	12. Chapter XII - Be My Friend

**Chapter XII - Be My Friend**

 ***A/N: I hope you like this next instalment to my novel. Unfortunately, I am going to be extremely busy over the November-December period, and therefore this story will not be being updated as often. I am trying to write chapters in advance for you so that you can still have a weekly chapter, however it is simply not feasible due to the amount of time it takes me to write a chapter (roughly 3-4 hours). Regardless of that, I hope you like it.***

The newfound democracy between H1 and H3 seemed to be working out quite well for the women of Wentworth, and was most certainly working out beneficial to Wentworth's governor, Vera Bennett. The last month since the fight in the laundry and the democracy established, the levels of drug use in the facility had gone down, and so had the incident reports. It had seemed that Bea and Kaz had been able to make the jobs of the correctional officers even easier, and as a result, everybody was able to relax. However, it was to be made a note of that it was still a prison and that these inmates had to serve their time.

Vera Bennett was one of the first people to notice the budding alliance between Bea and Kaz. The atmosphere of hostility was long gone, and Vera had suspected that that was because of their mutual love for the young blonde, Allie Novak, who had been somewhat a blessing to Vera and her staff. She had managed to prevent an even more bloody feud between Kaz and Bea, and to be honest, Vera could do without that right now. She had been through a lot in the last few years with Ferguson and trying to keep her governorship, and she was not about to let it all slide just for the sake of a few hefty mistakes by her correctional staff or some petty revenge.

* * *

The two time top dog was outside in the blistering heat, doing bicep curls at weights that would take a normal person both hands to lift up one weight. Allie was getting extremely flustered from watching Bea get all hot and sweaty and exerting so much energy, so much so that she didn't even realise that she was staring until Liz caught her in the act. The pair were sat on a bench overlooking the yard, but the older blonde seemed to find Allie's pair of eyes resting predictably onto the love of her life. Liz giggled to herself, and this seemed to pull Allie out of her Bea Smith daze, and return to the land of reality.

Maxine just laughed as she took the weights off Bea and stared back at Novak who had that signature grin on her face. The redhead turned around to see the blonde who had been so obviously just staring at her. Bea shook her head and chuckled. "She is so obvious sometimes, it kills me" Bea laughed. The tall brunette just seemed to smile even more. "You're adorable you two" she said, Bea shaking her head with Maxine giving her shoulder a light shove. Bea just shook her head in mock disgust and embarrassment, but in reality, she loved all the attention that Allie gave her, and in secret, she didn't really care what people thought of her.

For Bea, it had never been about Allie's gender. She didn't describe herself as "gay" because it just didn't fit with who she was. It was just a case in the fact that the only person who gave her true love and intimacy, and was the only person who managed to claim all of Bea's problems when she was around her, was a woman. For a moment, Bea could just forget that she was serving a life sentence in a prison, and just be comforted by the young blonde's affection and desirable love she demonstrated for her.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice that said blonde had left the bench that she had previously been sat on, and was now found situated in the northern side of the yard, where Kaz and her crew tended to reside nowadays. They were playing a game where they had to try and beat each other's targets of how many times consecutively in a row they could get the ball through the hoop individually. The silent conversation that was exchanged between the two turned into a glance at Bea and Kaz shaking her head. "What the hell is she up to" Bea thought.

As Allie skipped happily through the yard like a young schoolgirl, Bea exited the weights area to join her girlfriend. "What have you got me into now, Novak?" Bea asked playfully with a smirk on her face. Maxine giggled at the exchange before leaving them to it and going to join Liz on the bench. "You're going to play basketball" Allie said, matter of factly. "Am I now?" Bea challenged, a bit taken aback at Allie's firm statement. "Yeah. It's a wager. You versus Kaz" Allie smirked, Bea shaking her head. "What's the wager?" Bea said, quirking a brow as she looked over at the older blonde.

"If you win, Kaz is gonna get us a few bottles to drink and we are gonna make it so that Boomer doesn't tease you for a week. If you lose, me and you are going to have a little marathon in H1" Allie said, with that signature smirk plastered all over her face. Bea pulled back slightly, frowning at her lover before putting her hand out. "Deal" she said, smiling. Allie walked back over to where Kaz was where she was selecting who she wanted on her crew. They decided it would be Kaz, Allie, Snortz, Mel and Soz versus Bea, Boomer, Doreen, and Liz. They needed an extra member, so they dragged Juicy Lucy of all people to join them.

Juice had only just got out of medical after the bloody fight that participated in the laundry, and in typical Wentworth fashion, all feuds had been resolved with that fight and Juice just had to suck it up that she backed the wrong horse and lost. As the hostility was long gone, she decided she would join to try and get back on Queen Bea's good side. She knew how violent and ferocious the redhead could get if you pushed all her buttons, and Juice knew that she did not want to be on the receiving end.

Bea was pretty happy with the business contract that she had agreed to with Allie. She felt in a lighter and happier mood, and she felt like celebrating. She was also fed up with Boomer's relentless teasing and her unshameful dirty talk that erupted from her mouth. But, if the redhead was being truly honest, she didn't really mind losing either. Bea told Maxine to go and get Boomer as no one knew where she was. Bea's team started huddling around whilst she prepped them on shooting techniques. Kaz's team were going down.

* * *

After Maxine found Boomer watching TV in the unit eating biscuits, the tall brunette convinced her to come out and play basketball. The two had developed a special kind of relationship over the last couple of months: it was not a romantic relationship, but more of a close family bond between the two of them, shared by their common interest to both have a child. But unfortunately, as Boomer did not get pregnant, the dream of having a child went out of the window. It saddened the both of them but brought the two of them closer together; more than they ever had before.

As Boomer came out into the yard, Bea immediately briefed her on the game and explained that you had to get as many balls in the hoop from the other side of the court in a row as much as possible. She explained the wager to which she thought was reasonable, as she wanted a party as much as the next person. As they lined up, it was unanimously decided that Kaz's crew would go first. The older blonde was the first person to up and managed to get four consecutive balls into the hoop. "Shit" Bea cursed under her breath as she saw Allie look back at her and give her a wink as she picked up the ball.

By some pot luck as Allie was the most incompetent basketball player you'd ever know, she could shoot. She managed to get five in a row before Snortz took the ball off of her. The rest of Kaz's crew managed to get it in the hoop at least once, but nobody managed to beat Allie's target. As the sun was beating down on them, Bea could feel herself getting sweaty and worked up. Her competitive side was showing; one that had not been shown in far too long. As she breathed in and out slowly before picking up the ball, she managed to get three in a row before she heard Allie giggling which put her off course.

Scowling at the younger blonde as she watched her crew simultaneously fail at trying to get the ball in the hoop. "Fuck" she swore under her breath as they had lost on a team level. Bea began to protest as she was not going to admit defeat so easily. "Me versus Allie. Just us two" Bea bartered, Kaz looking to Allie for approval to which the young blonde happily complied. She loved teasing Bea and she got off on it; she just loved seeing her lover so hot and bothered. As Bea decided to be the first one, she managed to get seven in a row.

Allie looked taken aback and her confidence was damaged. She had no idea how she was going to be able to beat Bea. However, her sole determination spurred her on as she managed to also place seven in a row. It came to the eighth throw, and Bea just hoped that Allie would slip up so that they could at least call it a draw. Bea would not be able to deal with the embarrassment of losing to her partner, so she could only hope that some luck was on her side. The young blonde eyed the hoop with such focus that everybody started laughing.

She breathed in and out before placing her hands on the ball and bracing her arms. She pushed out with such force that the ball landed on the rim of the hoop and circled it. Allie inhaled before the ball fell through the hoop and the yard erupted in a set of wolf whistles and cheering. Allie gave Bea the biggest smirk before going over to her lover. Allie's twinkling blue eyes adjoined with Bea's gorgeous brown orbs before the young blonde's hands came to rest of the older woman's hips. "Looks like we're going to be busy" Allie said with a grin from ear to ear, grabbing her lover's hand and dragging her back to the unit.

* * *

"She was meant to be meeting me today, Gidge. It was off the list" the tattooed brunette said, looking at her partner. "I don't know where she is. The guards checked H1 and she wasn't there like she should've been. It would have been too obvious to Bea if one of the guards had gone and grabbed her in a public place like the yard" Bridget said, grabbing her lover's face and stroking her thumb over her bottom lip. "It's just...it's really important" Franky said, Bridget nodding. "Let's go ourselves" Bridget offered, not really caring if Vera was going to shout at her for letting an unauthorised visitor in the prison grounds. Franky nodded before she followed Bridget back into the prison.

It was a nostalgic tour for Franky, some of the women recognising her and looking at her as if she just walked on water. Others nodded at her just to acknowledge her, whereas the new inmates just walked on, thinking she was prison staff. As they turned the corner into H1, they found it completely desolate, apart from the one and only Bea Smith's cell door being closed. Franky looked over at Bridget, a bit concerned. Why would Bea lock herself in? And then it all clicked it.

"They're boning. Guarantee it" Franky smirked as she walked over near to Bea's cell door to try and see if she could confirm her hypothesis. Franky could gear some loud moans being elicited, but it wasn't very clear on who it was. Bridget shook her head at a grinning Franky. "Leave them to it, Franky.." Bridget said. Franky ignored what her partner said. "Fuck...ohh...Allie, fuck" she heard, knowing right there that it was the legendary Queen Bea that was being topped.

Franky couldn't help but burst out laughing, and at this point, Allie had fell off the bed in fright at a laugh she could only recognise as Franky. "What the fuck?" Bea said, grabbing her red blanket to maintain her dignity and modesty as she stepped outside of her cell, seeing a flash of brown hair and Bridget Westfall exiting. Bridget just gave Bea a sympathetic look, to which Bea just shut the cell door. "I'm so going to get shit for that" Bea said, a slight smile on her lips. Allie was dying on the floor laughing. She managed to regain her composure when she stood up and pressed her lips against Bea's. "Let's finish what we started" she smirked as she pushed Bea back onto the bed with her body.

* * *

A few hours later, word went round that Kaz was going to have a party to celebrate being top dog in a few days time. Bea was a bit excited as it would be a chance to let her hair down. Although the stress of top dog was now shared with Kaz, it did not stop her from being the tiniest bit stressed about it. However, Bea felt an obligation to the women and therefore she decided that she would suck it up. The hard times were coming, but they had not come to stay, they had come to pass. This is the daily motivation that she kept telling herself. It seemed to be working so far.

Nobody had noticed that Liz was not in the unit where everybody usually resided after work duty. Bea shared a frown with Maxine who's only response was to shrug her shoulders. She knew about much as the next person. It was a little out of the ordinary for Liz to just do a disappearing act and to not tell anyone. Bea decided to ask the corrupt guard, Linda Miles where Liz was. At first, the blonde seemed hesitant and did not want to give anything away, however Bea reminded her of their agreement and she told her that Liz had made her way to medical. Bea pondered for a moment before going to find out what the heck Liz was doing there.

* * *

"Stevens, you have a visitor" Linda Miles said five minutes before her liason with Bea. Liz stepped into medical to see Sonia in the worst state she had ever seen any human in before. She felt awful, and it seemed like any determination to carry on had been sucked out of her when she felt to her successors, Bea and Kaz, during that fight in the laundry. There was a gash above her left eye and her face was bruised, and a cut down her right cheek that would surely scar. Liz did feel sympathy for the woman, but she was responsible for nine overdoses so the older blonde felt as if she had had her comeuppance.

"How are you feeling?" Liz questioned, Sonia directing her eyes over to Liz. She had bags under her eyes and was clearly in pain. However, Sonia seemed very calm. "Magnificent. I just want to get out of here. That nurse is despicable" she croaked, giving Liz a slight smile. "As peer worker, I'm going to make sure you are safe from now on. We'll get you moved blocks" Liz offered. "You would do that?" Sonia asked, Liz nodding and stroking her hand. Sonia seemed heart-warmed at Liz's affection, even after the stuff that she had done. But it was also suspicious.

Bea didn't believe the exchange that she was seeing. She didn't understand that after all this time, Liz was befriending Sonia once again. It left the redhead immensely confused, and she decided that it would be the best thing to do to make herself scarce. What she did not know was that Sonia had saw her spying on Liz, and she decided that the best thing to do would be to alert the blonde. "Bea just saw you with me. She'll think you're conspiring against her" Sonia said, showing the slightest bit of compassion towards Liz.

Sonia understood that she was going to be a danger to anyone that dared associate themselves to her. She was a public enemy to the hierarchy now, and the last thing she needed was to get a bashing over some false accusations. It also alerted her to the fact that Tina would be out for revenge like a shark hunting for blood. Sonia swallowed hard as she knew that she had to plan her moves carefully when she was released from medical. Liz was her only ally as it stood, and she knew that it would be consequential for the blonde to be seen with her.

"Liz. You can't...you can't help me. I'm a dead woman walking" Sonia said, Liz looking shocked at what Sonia had just said. "Why?" Liz asked, genuinely confused. Liz wanted to help Sonia, but she was also still hanging on to the mission given to her by Detective Caplin to try and seek a confession from her. Liz worked it out that if she helped her now, it would seem less suspicious. "Tina will want me dead. Bea and Kaz are going to be trying to exercise their authority" Sonia said, a look of terror and sheer worry displayed upon her face.

"Sonia, don't worry. You have more than enough paid the price for the actions that you have done. I'm sure Bea won't be out for blood. Just keep your head down, love" Liz said, urging Sonia to calm down and to think rationally and not in a very depressing manner. "I'm not safe here. I'm just going to die. I'm defenceless and a failure" she said, sounding ironically like Ferguson. This statement seemed bold and nostalgic to Liz who also recognised the connection. Liz mentally pondered on the question if Sonia had ever taken someone's life.

The fact how she said it so matter of factly suggested to Liz that she was thinking that the only way she would truly pay for what she did was if she died. Liz understood that this must now be the guilt from allowing the drugs to be trafficked through and people dying simply for profit's sake. "Sonia, you need to compose yourself. You are stronger than this" Liz said, patting her hand as she exited medical. Sonia dawned on Liz's statement for the next couple of hours and came up with a decision. She was going to keep her head down, and for the sake of ever seeing that money as a free woman, she was determined to stay alive.


	13. Chapter XIII - Revealing

**Chapter XIII - Revealing**

Two days after, where all of H1 were residing in their unit, Linda Miles came to the entrance way. "Birdsworth" she uttered, directing her gaze towards the older blonde. She was sat on the couch next to Allie, and looked at the guard in confusion as to why she was being summoned. As if she could read her mind, Linda pointed out that is was 'Ms. Westfall' that she had an appointment with. Liz just nodded as she obediently followed the guard down to the office of the forensic psychiatrist.

As they turned around the corner, Linda knocked on the door and allowed Liz to enter. She was greeted by Detective Don Caplin, the detective from Melbourne Police Department that was assigned to Sonia Steven's case. They were trying to exert a confession out of her, and they had offered Liz a possibility of parole if she was able to aid the police in this extraction of the confession from her. Liz had agreed as she didn't want to spend the rest of her life behind bars, which unfortunately Bea Smith had to burden.

The tall bald man found himself with a stubble and not looking impressed. Liz could see that he had had a rough time with his boss by the looks of it; his appearance seeming to show it. His blue suit was creased and not pressed like it usually was. However, the detective seemed to have taken a liking to Liz. Whether it was purely to manipulate her or whether it was real, it was not of Liz's concern. She just wanted to leave Wentworth so that she could establish a life and have a connection with her children once more.

She still spoke to Sophie since she was transferred to a prison farm which Sophie had regaled about how much better it was than Wentworth. In some respects, Liz envied her daughter. Sophie was still going to get out before Liz, and that's what made her more determined than ever to get out of Wentworth as soon as possible. She had not been able to speak to Arnie as he was still in the care of Kay, who was her husband's new wife. She was an arrogant bitch, Liz thought, however without her, her children would not have had a mother figure in their life due to Liz's incarceration.

As Liz went down to take a seat, she locked eyes with the detective. He did not look pleased at all, and it seemed that his annoyance was going to be exerted onto Liz. "Now, Birdsworth. You haven't come up with the goods for months now, and now I'm getting shit from my superiors" the detective spat with venom. "These things take time. And if she is a murderer like you say she is, then I need to be careful" Liz stated, adamant that she was not going to let the detective speak to her like that.

"Detective, I don't know why you are speaking to me like this. You know I can't just go and ask Sonia if she's done a double homicide" the older blonde said, putting a blonde fleck of hair behind her ear that kept getting in the way. "Don't be so fucking ungrateful!" he shouted, smacking his hand on the table, ignoring Liz's question. "I think you need to go home, detective" Liz said, getting up to leave. "No, sit back down" he ordered, as he straightened up his suit. "We had a deal, Liz" he said after a few minutes of silence. He seemed to have calmed down so Liz decided to engage in a conversation with him.

"Yes, but I am going to need help. I can't just do this on my own" Liz said with a sigh, the detective stroking his stubble and pondering. "Who's the boss here? At Wentworth?" Caplin asked, desperate to know an answer. "Bea Smith and Kaz Proctor" Liz said, obviously confused as to where the detective was getting at. "Use their help" Caplin offered, Liz nodding. "Bea would help, I can guarantee you that now. She is a dear friend of mine" Liz said. Caplin seemed to snort at that last remark, with Liz frowning at him.

He offered his explanation. "This is the same Bea Smith that took down a crime family by murdering the two figureheads. Brayden and Jacqueline Holt" Caplin said. Liz nodded to confirm what the detective was saying. "Smith is the reason you are still incarcerated. Aiding and abetting whilst on parole?" the detective asked, trying to recite the information that he speculated on when he read Liz's prisoner profile. Liz just nodded, Caplin deciding not to ask why Liz would still want to be friends with the person that landed her back in Wentworth, in essence.

"Well, regardless of that, there is a complication" Caplin stated, Liz looking at him, encouraging him to continue. "Sonia Stevens has requested to be put into protection. Now we can't deny that, it's a right. You need to convince her to stay in general population, otherwise, this whole thing is blown and your chance of parole goes out of the window" Caplin spoke, Liz taken aback at the fact how Sonia would want to go into protection. "She said that she wouldn't be safe in general population" Liz said, Caplin nodding. "Well, you need to convince her otherwise" the bald man replied.

"I'm not sure how" Liz said, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm sure your friend, Ms. Smith, will have some ideas of how to encourage her to retract her request to be placed into the protection unit. Remember Birdsworth, this is your future on the line" he reminded her as she stood up to leave. Liz knew that Sonia was guilty deep down after she offered to shave Maxine's hair and she was recounting some history about tribes, and Caplin's words about one of the victim's heads being shaved. She knew that she had to get that confession out of her, one way or another.

Franky Doyle sat waiting in the visitors room for Bea and Allie. She looked around to see nobody that she recognised, until her eyes lit up at the sight of the adorable couple holding hands as they made their way over to the table. They both had a grin from ear to ear as they both took seats in front of the tattooed brunette, Bea bracing for the imminent teasing that she knew was just about to come their way. "Hey lovebirds" Franky chirped as they both sat down in front of her. "Hey, nice to meet you" Allie winked, Franky catching on that they both needed to act as if they hadn't seen each other before otherwise Bea would know that they were up to something.

"So Bea, I leave for one minute and you're the one banging all the hotties behind these bars, are ya?" Franky asked provocatively. "Allie's the only one for me, thank you" Bea said sweetly, shrugging her shoulders. "Where did Queen Bea go and what have you done with her?" Franky asked, shoving her shoulder playfully. "How are you doing, Red?" Franky quizzed more seriously, as the two had not spoke since she had been released from medical back into general population.

"I'm good. She's been taking good care of me so that's okay" Bea said, smiling at Allie as the younger blonde looked at her with those blue twinkling eyes. Franky decided this would be a great time to take a jibe at the redhead. "I bet she has. Now, Red hasn't given me all of the details" Franky said, turning to Allie. "I think she's lying when she says she wasn't a lesbo on the outside" Allie giggled, earning a swat from Bea playfully. "You know I wasn't!" Bea said, as Allie giggled even more. "Sure babe" she said.

"Here kid. Get whatever you and your Queen want" Franky said, giving Allie some money and nodding over to the vending machine. The blonde nodded in reply, kissing Bea on the cheek as she left, leaving the redhead with a flustered blush painted on her face. "She seems good for you" Franky said, smacking the top of Bea's right hand which was on the table. "She is. I've honestly never felt like this before" Bea said shyly, Franky just smiling.

The tattooed brunette was so proud for her friend and so happy for her. She was willing to give so much love and just needed somebody who would give it back in return. Allie Novak was that person. Franky was just honoured to know how far Allie would go to help Bea out, it was just an shame that she didn't know that yet. In lightning speed, Allie re-joined them as she gave Bea a can of soda and opened her own. "So, how's life for you?" Bea asked, wanting to redirect the conversation elsewhere and get a jibe at Franky for once.

"Gidge is doing well as far as I know. There's a chick at the legal centre who's my boss. She's helping me get onto big and larger cases because she knows I can handle it" the brunette winked, more or less at Allie to try and provoke a reaction out of Bea. "What cases?" Bea asked, Franky just shaking her head. "Doesn't matter" she said, ending the conversation quickly, not wanting to give too much away or make it much harder for Allie. "I uh...I came to visit you. A couple of days ago" Franky stated, Bea looking puzzled and Allie looking guilty.

"Really? Why wasn't my name called?" the redhead asked. "It was a visitors list that was off the books" Franky stated, the redhead nodding. "You were..occupied" Franky said, grinning. Bea went red and Allie just stood there looking at Bea and admiring at how adorable she looked. "Fuck me...not this.." Bea said under her breath, having completely forgotten and a little bit annoyed and embarrassed that she had been caught in the act. She had her head in her hands when Franky replied "No, you actually said 'Fuck Allie'" she said before the blonde high-fived the brunette as they both started bursting out in fits of laughter.

Bea decided to get some of her new found confidence and to turn it around onto Franky. "So what?" she said questioning. Franky raised an eyebrow before deciding for a suitable comeback. "What? I just thought being top dog...you'd be a top. Turns out expectations have changed since I have left" Franky said, grinning. Bea just wanted to smack the grin off of her face with the amount of embarrassment she was currently having to endure. "Fuck you" Bea said, starting to smile at the banter they were having. "That marks visiting hours" Jackson said, Franky bringing the happy couple both into a hug before she left to go and accompany her girlfriend back at her house.

It was the day of Kaz's party and the old blonde had already paid off Linda Miles to let the unit of H1 to come over to H3 for the night for a small party. In the days leading up to the party, Kaz had managed to smuggle in a variety of liquors in quite decent quantities. The liquors included rum, vodka, gin and whisky. It was going to be more than just a celebration and Kaz knew it. It was going to be damn near dangerous with the amount that she had, but she made sure that no screw would be able to find it and slot her for the incriminating contraband.

She had asked Allie earlier on in the day to ask everyone to be ready for 10PM as Smiles was going to open the gate to the unit and chauffeur them down to H3 where they'd have a good four hours to have a proper celebration on the transition of power that had occurred during the fight in the laundry. Allie had done just as her adoptive mother had asked her to, and told the rest of H1 to be ready. Liz wasn't going to be drinking as she was basking in how long she had managed to not touch a drink for.

Liz had been trying to find Bea all day, and had not seen her as it seemed her and Allie had taken a detour to the equipment room after their visit with Franky. Time had gone past and it was now time for the evening count. It was conducted by Smiles who reminded them to be ready by ten exactly otherwise whoever was not ready was going to be left behind. They all nodded, not wanting to annoy the guard after it was Kaz's money that had ensured that they were going. After Smiles had left, Liz eagerly made her way over to Bea.

"Bea love, can I speak to you alone in private?" Liz asked, Bea looking confused but offering Liz to come into her cell. She shut the door and waited for the blonde to speak to her. "I need to confess something to you" Liz said. "I saw you with Sonia. Why are you still helping her, Liz? After all she has done?" Bea questioned, a little bit of anger showing as she just got angry at speaking about those who dealt with drugs and distributed them around.

"I worked a deal with Melbourne Police around about the type when Ferguson was still here" Liz said, Bea being disgusted about the mention of the Freak's name since she occasionally found herself in Bea's nightmares when she woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, screaming, and Allie soothing her. "They told me that if I can get a confession from Sonia about the double homicide, I can get paroled" Liz finished, Bea surprised. "No one else knows?" Bea asked, Liz nodding to affirm Bea' question.

"So that's why you're befriending her" Bea understood, folding her arms at Liz's cunning and manipulation, the two things she did not expect from someone who had never displayed a hint of evil, always doing things with good intention. That was when she was sober though. "I need your help. She's requested to be put into protection and I don't get paroled if it goes through" the older blonde said. "You need me to convince her otherwise" Bea said, Liz nodding.

"So, if I protect her, you can act friendly to her again and get out of here?" Bea said, a little bit jealous at the fact that Liz had been offered to opportunity but happy for her friend if the plan went as good as it was in theory. "I'll help you. Just as long as you make sure that you do get paroled after its all gone down" Bea said, wanting to make sure that Liz did not sign up for something and not get rewarded for it. "It's already been signed" Liz spoke.

Boomer nearly got left behind after Smiles nearly locked her in. She had applied makeup and Bea even did her hair for her just to make her seem a little bit more special. She was like a little child sometimes, and even though she was the bringer of bashings, she did seem adorable at times. Not that anyone would say that to her face, otherwise they'd get a frown and maybe a left hook to the face. The only person who'd be able to get away with it would be Maxine.

As they got into H3, Kaz and Allie embraced in a hug where Allie went over to go and greet the other members of Kaz's crew. Bea shook Kaz's hand, as was their protocol nowadays as allies, before Bea went over to inspect all of the alcohol that Kaz had managed to bring it. In Bea's personal opinion, it looked like Kaz had brought a lorry with the amount that she had. Liz had offered to be the sober one as she did not want to fall back into a nasty habit of drinking again, as it nearly ruined her life last time.

As the rest of H1 entered the unit, Kaz opened a bottle of whisky which was shared by both her and Bea. Whisky was one of Bea's favourite drinks that she had not had in so long. Simply because when she was on the outside, if she ever bought some for herself, Harry would have it finished in one afternoon and he'd hit her if she didn't go out to the shops and get some more. Getting the dark thought out of her head, she grabbed her glass and went to go and sit on the couch.

Allie grabbed herself a glass of straight vodka before she went to sit on Bea's lap in the couch, unconsciously stroking her thigh, nobody noticing. The fact that Allie just engaged in normal conversation without realising what she was doing to Bea just aggravated her. Bea decided it was time to get her own back as she stroked the nape of Allie's neck, sending shivers down her body, knowing how much she liked it. Before the two could get into more competitive touching, Kaz clapped her hands together.

"Democracy" she shouted as she raised her glass, everybody else raising their glasses in toast. "Cheers" uttered around the unit as Bea downed all of her whisky in one. She didn't seem to mind that it was now burning the back of her throat as she lifted Allie onto the couch as she went to go and fill up her glass. As Kaz had also finished her glass of wine, the two found themselves engaged in conversation. "I'm going to be protecting Sonia" Bea whispered in the older blonde's ear.

Kaz frowned at Bea as if to say 'What the fuck are you thinking' before she waited for Bea to give her an explanation. "Liz will get paroled if she gets a confession for the double homicides. She wants to be put into the protection unit but I'm going to protect her here in general population" Bea stated, Kaz nodding but needing to know an answer to a certain question that had just erupted from her mind. "I get that Liz is your friend and everything...but why help her and risk yourself like that?" Kaz asked.

Bea sighed before saying: "Liz has been there for me throughout all of this. I've ended her up back in prison and I think that this is the best way to repay her. She's been through enough and she is much better than this place. Sonia deserves to go down for what she's done. And I'm not talking just about the double homicides" Bea replied, Kaz nodding. "Thanks for letting me know. Just make sure you don't get caught up in it all. You've also been through enough" Kaz said, patting Bea on the shoulder. The redhead nodded, glad that her bond with Kaz was getting stronger by the day.


	14. Chapter XIV - Building Bridges

Chapter XIV: Building Bridges

"Mercado, you've got a visitor" Will Jackson shouted across the yard. The young fiery woman immediately looked over to the screw, unaware of the predicament that she was in. Her business partner had dumped her, and now she had no leads in order to be able to make a profit in the prison. She simply huffed as she left her crew of fellow Koreans to make her way towards the visitor's centre. She was never visited by her family, they didn't want anything to do with her when she started getting involved with drugs. In Mercado's opinion, she never wanted to see them again either, so the feeling was mutual.

As Tina stepped into the visitors room, her eyes locked with a very tall bald tattooed man. He was called Hakim and was of Malaysian descent. The two met when Tina had just been kicked out of her family home when they found bags of heroin and coke underneath her bed. He knew of Tina; she had been stealing his clients. But instead of killing her, he gave her a home and she started to work for him. She started then to get in deep to the organisation that Hakim was home to, and thus into organised crime.

She dealt with a lot of crime families who needed a hand in offloading important shipments from South Korea. With various dealings participating, they had a steady flow of income, and sure enough, Tina started finding ways to peddle drugs into prisons where there would surely be a lot of junkies that would be willing to buy her merchandise. Unluckily for her, they had a mole inside of their organisation, and Tina was ordered to take the fall. She landed herself a five year sentence, but since then had gotten six more years for drug crimes whilst she was incarcerated. It was a vicious wheel, and Tina knew that she was going to have to do something about it if she wanted to ever spend the fortune that she had made.

She sat down, Hakil's face demonstrating everything that Tina should be worried about. "I'm sure you are aware of Mrs. Stevens' withdrawal from our contract" he said in a husky low tone and in Korean, just so that the other inmates could not eavesdrop and report her conversation to Bea and Kaz. That would be consequential for her. Tina took a deep breath. "I have not seen her. It seems she is hiding from me, the bitch" she scoffed as she folded her arms. Hakil leaned over the table, so that his three teardrops underneath his eye, the symbol that he had taken three lives, was visible.

"The Jackal wants her gone. He wants you to do it" Hakil whispered. The colour from Mercado's face drained and she was trying to process what Hakil had just asked her to do. "I-I don't get involved in that shit. I just deal out the merchandise" Tina stuttered, shocked. Hakil shook his head. "No, you are the only one who can have access to her. It is code law. You've got to do it" he said firmly with strong conviction. Tina's mouth was agape as she could not possibly conceive about taking someone else's life. "You realise how obvious it will be? The consequences for me? She's a fucking murderer!" Tina said, raising her voice. Even though it was in Korean, a few people raised their eyebrows before resuming to their conversations with their visitors.

"I'm sorry, Tina. But if you do not do this, the Jackal will finish both me and you. Please" he pleaded. He knew the deadly consequences of not listening to his boss. Tina had water in her eyes. She didn't want to be pushed around but she knew exactly how deadly the organisation could be. A few minutes of silence spread across the pair like wildfire, Tina's cogs in her brain trying to make sense of how she could possibly take another person's life inconspicuously so that she wouldn't end up like Bea Smith. She could not comprehend of spending the rest of her life with her; Bea would probably kill her.

"How long do I have?" Tina asked. She asked it in such a manner that if the pair were not silent, Hakil would not have heard her. He scratched his head before leaning over the table. "The Jackal has not specified, however he is trying to concentrate on opening new routes in here too. He has deemed the current routes were are using as too dangerous and obvious" stated Hakil, Tina nodding, glad at the diversion of conversation. The tall man stared at the young Korean woman in front of her and could see that she was not mentally prepared to carry out the Jackal's wishes, and knew that he was going to have to be a mental and emotional pedestal for her to be able to lean on if she was actually going to kill someone.

He reached his hand over and placed it on top of hers. "Don't think about it. We will worry when it is time" he reassured her, she nodding in appreciation. "So, what are these new business ideals? Is the cleaning idea not good enough?" she queried, Hakil pulling his hand away. "No, we figured that Stevens is most likely going to lag on you" Hakil said, jiggling his thumbs on the table. "I sold all of the Panther to clear my tracks" Tina said, Hakil smiling. "Street smart, just like the good old days". Tina smiled at that comment as her mind dawned back to the days where she had a bank account in the five figure range. "So, there are four new ways of how to get the merchandise in" Hakil said, a big grin appearing on his face from ear to ear.

* * *

"Hey babe, I need you to go and tell Vera that I need to have a meeting with her. You too, as well" Franky said with a huge grin on her face and a huge file underneath her shoulder. Bridget kissed her cheek before replying. "Yeah sure, what is it about?" Bridget asked curiously. She wanted to know what had made her girlfriend so happy. "You'll have to find out later, don't want to spoil the surprise now do we?" she said with a play on words before winking at her lover. Bridget shook her head at how flirtatious she was at times, but secretly, Bridget loved it.

* * *

Vera Bennett was sat in her office, facing a protection unit transfer form for Sonia Stevens. She knew that this would be bad for Birdsworth as it would foil her plot to be able to get parole if she assisted with the Melbourne Police in extracting a confession from Sonia. Vera scratched her forehead before looking at her phone and receiving a text. To her surprise, it was from Bridget. Vera pondered on what it could be as she unlocked her phone.

 **Bridget [14:52]: Hey Vera, Franky wants a meeting with me and you tonight at Wentworth. What time is good for you?**

Vera typed out a reply quickly and just hoped that she would be free then.

 _Vera [14:53]: Hi, Bridget. 8PM is good for me. Has she told you what it is about?_

A minute or so later came the reply.

 **Bridget [14:55]: No, but for some reason, it's putting a big smile on her face. I'll see you at work.**

Vera locked her phone as she continued to dawn over Sonia's transfer papers. She wondered if there was anything she could do to convince the rich brunette to reconsider her offer. Sonia had been moved from medical to D Block after showing improvements to her health. The nurse was convinced that she was well enough to be released back into general population, but personally, Vera would have liked to have kept her in there for as long as possible, but even Vera knew when someone was going a bit too far.

* * *

Tina walked out the visitors room with a big smirk on her face. The fact that she was going to have to kill someone was long gone. She was happy at the fact that her boss had managed to find four new ways in order to be able to get the drugs into prison which would mean even more profit for her. For the moment, revenge dawned into insignificance. She decided to go down to the cleaning cupboard where she found one bag of panther left. At that point, she decided that it would be the smartest decision to give it to any junkie that was willing to get it for the right price.

Sure enough, she found one of her usual clients hanging around near the library. "Hey, you got anything on you?" she whispered, obviously suffering from withdrawals from the streams of sweat down her face. The woman was in her 40s and probably in for something like parking fines. That was insignificant to Tina. One junkie is the same as the other, regardless of their past. They will do anything to get a hit. "Strawberry ice cream" she smiled. The junkie's eyes lit up as she passed her a wad of money inconspicuously in exchange for the gear. "Nice doing business" Tina said as she wandered back to the unit to stash her money.

* * *

Liz sat down on the couch in H1 investing in her knitting. It was one thing that she was always good at on the outside, and she loved to do it as a hobby. As Bea entered the unit, quickly flanked by Allie and Boomer, the older blonde greeted them with smiles. She was like the mother hen to all of the women in Wentworth, and thus had gained a mutual respect from all of them during her incarceration at Wentworth. She was also well known for being the peacekeeper at the prison, but nobody seemed to know about her secret quest for parole, apart from Bea.

Bea went down to go and sit next to Liz, a bit puzzled about why she wasn't near Sonia. She went and sat down, looking at what Liz what knitting. "You should be with Sonia" Bea whispered in her ear. Liz looked over to her before speaking. "There is no way that I can convince her. It'll look to obvious" Liz explained in a quiet voice, Bea looking directly ahead. "Liz, if you want parole, you've got to fight for it" Bea said with pressure. She wanted her friend to have a life on the outside and to have the privilege that Bea was never going to have. Liz looked at her and saw no bluff in Bea's eyes. Liz nodded before going to stand up.

"I'll get her moved to a different block where she isn't surrounded by junkies that'll be loyal to Tina and not her" Bea said before continuing, Liz paying the utmost attention. "I'll put her under my protection, but you'll have to do the rest" Bea said, Liz nodding. "Thanks love" Liz said before going back into her cell. Bea stood outside before deciding to make her way to D Block. Just before she left, Boomer gave her a curt nod, just to let her know that she was going to where Bea was as well, just to cement the top dog-power association.

* * *

"What is rich woman doing?" Tina asked in broken English. The women of D Block seemed to be on good terms with Tina after falling out with Sonia after she lost her top dog status. The women seemed to shake their heads until one woman with short cropped hair decided to speak. "She locks herself in, doesn't eat. She reads books and just ignores everyone" the woman said in a thick Australian accent. Tina nodded before walking over to Sonia's cell. "Oi" Tina shouted, banging on the door. It wasn't long before the screws came over. "Mercado! Back to your unit!" Miles ordered as the rest of the women made themselves scarce. Tina hissed at the guard before kicking the door and leaving a very intimidated Sonia.

Bea was walking the corridor towards D Block when she saw Tina scoff at her. Bea was filled with anger in an instant and grabbed Tina by the throat and pressed her up against the wall. "I'm not fucking stupid. I know you've been there to pay a little visit to Sonia. You go in there, and you better sleep with one fucking eye open" Bea spat with venom. Tina looked pale as she nodded urgently at Bea. The redhead released her vice like grip on Mercado's throat before Tina walked very quickly away. "It's like I saw a flash of the old Bea there" Boomer chirped. Bea smiled to herself until she was met with the door of Sonia's cell.

"Sonia, open the fucking door, I'm not going to ask you again" Bea shouted as Boomer pounded on the door. The tall brunette did not seem to be responding to Bea which only seemed to anger her. She nodded over to Boomer who grabbed the handle of the cell door and ripped it off as they both managed to rip the door of its hinges. "I don't want any trouble" Sonia said as she cowered into a corner, Boomer leaning over her with her fists clenched. Bea pushed Boomer back who released her fists and managed a neutral stance. "I want to help you" she said in a calm tone. Sonia was finding it hard to believe but somehow, she managed to gain some courage out of nowhere.

"You're moving blocks. Come with me" she said, offering out her hand. Sonia took it with caution as Bea lifted her up, and they made their way out of D Block. All of its occupants were staring at both Bea and Boomer, the two oblivious to the damage they had just done. The screws ignored it, not wanting to cause more trouble than it was worth. "Why are you helping me?" Sonia asked in a whisper. "Because I know what it is like to be alone" Bea answered as they rounded the corner into the main corridor. Bea saw Mr. Jackson and gave boomer a slight nod to let her know that she was going to be okay from her on out. "We need to see the governor." Bea said, moving her head over to Sonia.

* * *

Franky sat in one of the exquisite chairs in the governor's office. She was excited but nervous for the anticipation of telling her lover and the governor of the prison what she had managed to do. She still needed to tell a numerous amount of other people, but established that these two were the most important. Bridget walked in with her hair down and dressed in a lovely brown coat and jeans, whereas Vera donned her usual tight bun and pants. She smiled at them both as they both silently took a chair and waited for the news that Franky was about to break to them.

"So as you both know that I have been working in legal aid for a few months now and I've never actually had the opportunity to provide legal aid for any of the inmates here. Now, the firm that I work with has contacted you, Vera, and I believe you said yes?" Franky quizzed, Vera nodding her head, a bit shocked as she did not know that Franky worked for that particular firm as her occupation. "I said yes simply for the fact that we cannot have prison overcrowding. It would be most beneficial to the correctional service and the women if we can try and get them paroled if they show genuine rehabilitation" Vera stated, Franky nodding her head yet quirking her eyebrows at Vera's exquisite statement.

At that point, there was a knock on the door. Vera sighed as she signaled for Mr. Jackson to let through whoever wanted to see her. At the door stood Sonia and Bea, wanting the governor. Franky turned red instantly before giving her a small wave. Vera turned back to Bridget. "You can use my office" she offered, Vera offering her hand out as Sonia and Bea both made their way to Ms. Westfall's office. As the door closed, Sonia spilt the beans immediately. "I'd like to transfer blocks and remove my request to be put into protection" she stated, Vera nodding her head, knowing that this was Bea's doing entirely.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" Vera asked, needing to have a reasonable explanation in order to be able to validate the paperwork. "I'd just not like to spend the rest of my days incarcerated staring at a wall" Sonia said, shrugging her shoulders. "There is a space in J Block if I remember. New batch of inmates settling in on sunday. That'll suit you?" Vera asked finally, with Sonia nodding her head. "Is that all?" the short brunette asked as Bea and Sonia made their way out to be escorted back to their units by Mr. Jackson.

* * *

"Sorry about that" Vera said as she shut the door to her office and took her seat where she had previously been sitting before their interruption. "No problem" Franky said as she went to resume what she was going to tell them before. "My boss, Jane Spencer, said that I was doing well with all of the cases that I was taking on. I developed a particular interest in one case that I could take on, but it was going to be one that was going to go down in history, if I could do it" Franky stated, the two women looking bewildered.

"It's been in the air for about the past month now, and only recently, I got the go ahead to be able to continue ahead with this case. Now, it is not a short term thing and it is probably the hardest case that I am ever going to do, but I have consulted a few people on a non business matter about this case, and they seem okay with it" Franky continued, Bridget looked perplexed and Vera not much better off. "So, you've been doing well but now you are looking to even bigger things?" Vera asked, Franky nodding her head to confirm the answer to Vera's question.

"Well done, so what does this case entail?" Bridget interrogated, Franky taking a sip of her glass of water that had been placed on the table. The tattooed brunette placed a strand of her hair behind her ears that was in the way. "It's going to most likely start in a month when I have finished all of these minor cases that I have going on now. Jane wants this case to be my only focus, so she wants everything else done, dusted and filed before I can even begin to concentrate on this one. Now, the reason I'm telling you this is because, well, I need your help, and you are going to have to bend the rules a little bit in order to help me out, if that's okay" she spoke, everybody looking at one another.

"I'm not promising anything, Doyle. It depends what it is. You know what happened last time when I bent the rules, and you too Bridget" Vera said with a quirked eyebrow, the older blonde going red, knowing what Vera was insinuating. Vera had pretty much inferred that their relationship must've started somewhere inside otherwise it would purely be coincidental that anything started happening when Franky got paroled from her incarceration at Wentworth. Bridget refused to comment on the matter, saying it was a thing of the past. Vera and Bridget were good friends and she did not want to lose a good colleague. "I'm sure it won't come to that" Franky spoke before finishing her statement. "What case is it about?" Bridget asked before letting Franky answer her question.

"To free Bea Smith".


	15. Chapter XV - Detective Prisoner

Chapter XV: Detective Prisoner

Vera and Bridget were both surprised at the fact how Franky was going to work on Bea's case to try and get her paroled. Vera was shocked at the audacity of a former prisoner trying to bust her friend out that had killed two people, and was not very optimistic at first. Bridget was amazed that Franky was going to take on such a case, and admired her ambition. Franky explained that she was going to need them both on board to be able to get it signed through so that she would be able to start on the case next month when she had finished all of the current cases that she was working on. This one would require her full attention, and she was going to give it 110%.

Jane had warned Franky beforehand that this was undoubtedly, the hardest legal case to fight in Australian history to date. It was going to be incredibly difficult at time, but she had told Franky that she would not let her do it if she did not think she was capable. Unfortunately, Jane could only offer help part time as she had to work on other cases and monitor the other para legals as apart of her job as the branch manager for Melbourne Legal Relief. Jane had warned her of the publicity she was going to get as a result, but she also told her that if it did work by some miracle, she would be set for life and her career would be enhanced significantly.

* * *

Bea called a small meeting with Kaz after their work duty, to tell her and update her everything that was going on with Sonia, and the fact that she had now been moved to J Block with a new batch of inmates. She also told her of Tina's attempt to intimidate her, and how the inmates of D Block seem to be quite friendly with her these days. Kaz and Bea were both concerned for this matter, as this may of meant that Tina could re-open a new supply route again. She was too smart; she had sold all of the Panther before Bea or Kaz could lag on her, and she get slotted for the drugs going around. She had found a new route, and it was the crews of both Bea and Kaz that needed to find out how she was getting drugs in.

They both decided that it was best to call both of their crews together like they had done before, and to give everybody a job to do concerning investigating how Tina sources her drugs from within the prison. Another quick bribe to Ms. Miles and the H3 girls found themselves in Bea's unit, long past the time of the evening count. Doreen had both gone to bed, with Maxine, Bea, Liz, Boomer and Allie, all deciding it was important enough to be present for this meeting. As the girls rounded the corner and Ms. Miles left them through the gate, she warned them that they only had half an hour, as she nearly got caught out last time with fiddling the security cameras so that they could not record her being the corrupt and bent screw she really was.

Bea was sat on the couch with Allie sat next to her, her head on her shoulder and Bea's left arm wrapped around her. "We need to figure out how Tina sources her gear. Now, she's obviously been smart because I haven't seen any junkies, now she'll b-" Bea was cut off by Mel who decided that it was then the best time to interrupt, much to Bea's dismay. "Some girl was fucked up today. It was only her, but she's one of Tina's regular clients" the small brown haired woman said, everybody looking to her in an attempt to process this new information. "Well fuck" Allie said as she sighed out loud. She was only saying what everyone else was thinking.

"We're gonna have to stop her then, before her dodgy gear kills everyone else" Maxine said, everyone else agreeing. "Why don't we split our crews in two so that we have four separate groups spying on her. That was we don't draw attention to ourselves" Bea offered, Kaz nodding in agreement. "That's a good idea. Shall we do that then?" Kaz asked, the room going around in a chorus of yes'. "Right, Mel, you can go and listen to her in the visitors room" Kaz ordered. "I'm moving onto kitchen duty from laundry so maybe me and Allie can look at her from there. See if she has anyone working for her" Liz offered, Bea nodding in agreement. "Maxine and Boomer, you can go and look around the cleaning crew. Me and Bea will go and snoop around their cells" Kaz spoke, the women all nodding.

"Mel, it's really important that you find out how she gets it in. It saves a lot of our time and it means we can get gear out of the prison sooner. Goes to the rest of you as well, the quicker we get it done, the better it will be for everyone here" Bea stated, the women all agreeing before heading off. Kaz was the last one left behind as she needed to speak to Bea in private. "Kim Chang" Kaz said, Bea understanding straight away. They were going to have to bend the rules a little bit in order to be able to get the information they needed from Kim. Kaz left the unit, knowing that tomorrow, was going to be D-Day.

* * *

After the meeting, Mel had arranged to have met with her sister over the phone. She hadn't seen her sister in three months since she moved to Sydney with her boyfriend, who was a piece of work if you asked Mel. She wasn't going to have the visit to see her sister though, it was purely to eavesdrop on Tina to try and find out how she got the gear through. As she came through the red door that led to the room, she saw her sister come through at the exact same time. Mel spotted Tina in the corner of the room speaking to a man who looked of Asian descent with tattoos on his face. They didn't look alike so Mel second guessed that it was Tina's boss. She positioned herself next to their table strategically where her sister sat across from her.

"Hey, how have you been?" Mel asked as her sister, Sarah sat down. They were twins but neither of them spoke to their mother anymore since she abandoned the both of them when they were only sixteen. They were left to fend for themselves as there was no father figure in their lives since he used to beat their mother. Sarah found a group of friends that took her in and gave her a job until she was able to have a house on her own, whereas Mel was left homeless on the streets. After six years, she met Kaz Proctor who picked her up off the streets. Their strong dislike for men who beat women brought them together, and therefore, she was invited to join the Red Right Hand which unfortunately, landed her in Wentworth.

Mel acknowledged that her sister had started speaking but she wasn't listening. She was too busy eavesdropping on Tina. She could understand their Korean, as her mother was cousin was half Korean and taught it her when she was younger. "So, we have four steady supplies that the Jackal's set up now?" Tina asked her friend. He nodded and folded his arms in a smirk. "Fucking hell...but what about the current routes we have?" Tina quizzed, her friend leaning forward. "The Jackal would like them shut down. But let's say...if you want...you might keep them going and we'll split the profits, 50/50?" her friend said, a Cheshire cat grin on his face. "Why not? But I mean it when I say it Hakil, I don't want to get caught again and face the top dogs' wrath. I'd be in a fucking pool of blood with a meat cleaver in my neck" Tina said, worriedly. Her friend who Mel now knew as Hakil, nodded in understanding.

"What about the other errand the Jackal asked me to do?" Tina interrogated, Hakil shrugging his shoulders. At this point, Sarah turned to Mel and noticed she wasn't listening. She clicked her fingers near her face, bringing Mel out of her eavesdropping trance. "Are you listening?" Sarah asked, Mel nodding before her sister started talking again. She wasn't paying any attention. "No news yet, but I expect after a steady flow and profit has been established, he will select a time to strike" her friend said, Tina gulping as Mel saw her turn green. Mel instantly knew that was something bad, bad enough that they wouldn't elaborate on it more. It was then that Mr. Jackson informed them that visiting hours were over.

* * *

Mel made the sprint to H3 as quick as she could. When she came round the corner, she came face to face with the two top dogs engaged in a conversation. "I've just eavesdropped on Mercado" Mel said, panting from the run she just did. "Get your breath back kid" Kaz said, placing her hand on Mel's back as she hunched forward, gasping for breath. "Tina hasn't ditched how she used to run drugs. She's working for someone called Hakil who works for someone called the Jackal" the small brunette said, Kaz looking at Bea. "It's a crime family" Bea said, Kaz looking back over to Mel. "So, she's still using the cleaning crew?" Kaz asked, Mel nodding. Bea looked at the blonde in confusion. "Vinegar Tits told me that she'd got herself moved to kitchen since the incident. How the fuck does that work?" Bea asked, the rest of them shrugging their shoulders. Mel then put the pieces together like a jigsaw.

"I know! I know!" she said, like a child. Bea and Kaz both looked over to her. At this point, Allie came round the corner and noticed her adoptive mother and her lover both speaking to Mel. She wondered what it was about this time. "What's this about?" she asked, giving Bea a kiss on the lips before folding her arms to look at Kaz. "Tina's got the D Block girls as her crew. They were all junkies for Sonia's crew, but they've turned their allegiance to Tina because she has gear" Mel offered, Kaz and Bea nodding their heads. "Junkies will do anything to get a fix, maybe that's how she keeps their loyalty" Allie said, her mind dawning back to when she was in a similar position. She knew how your loyalty changed just like that, like a sheep following the herd. Wherever the gear went, you went. It was like being a programmed robot when you were a junkie.

"She's got the girls on cleaning crew so that means we need to find out how they operate. If we get a girl from your crew and someone from mine, we can figure out how they work" Bea said, Kaz agreeing. They both decided to have Snortz from Kaz's crew and Boomer from Bea's crew to get their job roles switched so that they would be on cleaning crew. Bea and Kaz would have to use the lenience of the governor to make sure that they were rostered on at the same time as D Block. It wasn't going to be hard if they told the governor their ulterior motives for it and how they were going to do it as it would look good for Vera and save her a whole load of hassle. "I think it's time to pay that visit, Bea" Kaz said, the redhead reading her mind as they headed over to H2.

* * *

Kim was reading a magazine where her heart fell in her mouth at the sight of no one other than Bea Smith, Kaz Proctor and Allie Novak enter the unit. There was nobody else in the unit so she had no back up. She braced herself for what was next. "Hey Kim" Bea said, cheerily. She said it in such a tone that meant that Bea was on a business call, and it wasn't good news for Kim. Bea knew that she was involved in gear from the first time that she put it in Franky's cell to try and fuck up her parole. She wasn't on the gear now, but she had been previously after the fire when they returned from Walford, the men's prison. "Fuck" she cursed under her breath as she stood up and tried to act calm and least intimidated as possible. Bea was like a fire, just radiating energy and anger from her. Kim knew it could not end well.

"Hey" she said with a small smile, trying to not act scared. Kaz and Allie could see by the facial expression on her face that she was shitting herself and was trying to not be intimidated by somebody that had murdered two people in the name of her anti drug agenda. Bea took her smile as an insult and gripped the small woman by the throat. She dragged her over to the wall where Allie could see the whites of her knuckles. "How do you get the gear in?"she spat with venom, Kim going white. Kaz admired the way how Bea dealt with despicable women in prison just like Kaz did with despicable men on the outside. She did not like hurting women as it went against her principles, but she was in prison, and it is very hard to adhere and upkeep to principles inside."W-w-what?" Kim asked, gasping for breath.

Bea felt fucking insulted to say the least. She grabbed Kim by the hair and connected her knee to Kim's face before bringing her back up against the wall with a vice like grip on her throat. "How does she get the fucking gear in, I'm not going to ask you again" Bea shouted, loud enough to intimidate Kim but not loud enough to attract attention. "Loo-look Bea. I don't know anything. We..we're just friends" Kim managed, feeling as if she was going to pass out any minute. Bea sensed this and let her go, not wanting to add to her murder count. Bea looked back at Allie who was looking extremely flustered. Little did she know, Allie loved seeing Bea in her top dog mode. It aroused her, just how she could take control of a situation and dominate people with her power. It was one of the first things that drew her to Bea before she even knew her in person.

Kim was gasping for breath on the floor when Kaz stepped on her foot deliberately. The older blonde grabbed her by the hair. "What is she planning?" Kaz screamed, Kim wriggling on the floor. "What do you mean?" Kim asked, genuinely confused as to what they were speaking about. Kaz looked back at Bea and released her hair. The redhead then picked her up by the throat again before punching her in the left eye and smashing her face against the wall before pinning her up against it once more. "Why was she fucking around near D Block?" Bea asked, Kim getting confused. The number of different questions by Bea and Kaz was an attempt to get at least something out of her. They were not leaving the unit empty handed, it was too high profile for that.

"She hangs around with them now as well. I don't know why but ever since Sonia left as top dog, they looked to her as a leader. I..I think they wanted a crew again" Kim confessed, Kaz looking to Bea. They knew that the next step was to ask her what Tina had planned for Sonia. It was obvious and in the rules that Korean street crews went for revenge when a business contract was ceased and not adhered to. "What has she got planned for Sonia Stevens?" Kaz asked while Bea still had her pinned up against the wall. "I don't know what you are on about. Listen, she doesn't fucking tell me shit nowadays. I never see her, she hangs around with D Block" Kim answered, still trying to intake oxygen.

"She's kicked me out of the business ring ever since it stopped with Sonia. Trust me, she has shut up shop. She doesn't want the hassle of it anymore" Kim said, a little bit more calmer as Bea loosened her grip around Kim's throat. Kaz, Bea and Allie all decided to laugh then as Bea let go of her neck, and Kaz went up behind her and kicked her at the back of the knees so that she was knelt down. Allie decided to get a little fun on the action and grabbed Kim by the hair as Bea squatted down so that she was eye level with Kim. "We know that's not true. Do you know what I hate more than drug dealers, Kim?" Bea asked, Kim shaking her head. "Liars. Now if you don't start telling me the fucking truth, we are going to have some issues with putting your body back together after I'm fucking finished with you" Bea spoke, spitting in her face.

"Okay! She had one little baggie left and she sold it yesterday. She told me that she was finding new ways of getting gear in but it was strictly between me and her. She's answering to people much bigger than you, Bea. We're talking organised criminal organisations" Kim said, scared at the fact that she had just spilled the beans. A bruise was starting to form around Kim's eye and she had blood running down her nose. "Has she told you how she gets it in?" Bea interrogated, Kim shaking her head. "She said that I am on a need-to-know basis. The less people know, the less things can fuck up. Her words. These people are serious, Bea" Kim said. "Well, I don't want to take you on a trip down memory lane, but you remember the Holts? That's how serious I'm going to be" Bea spoke with venom. Kim could've sworn that she had literally pissed herself.

The trio left the unit and left a battered Kim Chang on the floor. "Kim, you look like you've hurt yourself walking into that door there" Kaz said really loud. Kim got the message; she wasn't allowed to say a word that they had been to pay her a visit. She knew that she was going to be in shit when it all went to collateral later on. Tina would know that Kim had lagged on her to Bea and Kaz. Kim just hoped that she didn't end up dead.


	16. Chapter XVI - New Findings

**Chapter XVI: New Findings**

Tina was shocked to find Kim with a bruised eye and blood running out of her nose when she came to the unit. Tina suspected that she had been jumped, but Kim blamed it on her slipping and falling down the stairs because the landing on the stairs was being mopped and she slipped down it. Tina didn't think anymore of it as Kim cleaned herself up in her cell and put a piece of tissue up her nose to stem the bleeding. There was no way that Kim was going to tell Tina what had really happened. She'd go and confront Bea or Kaz and then find out that she'd lagged on Tina with the way that she got her drugs in. Kim was too smart to take that risk. Ever since she got herself landed back in Wentworth, she promised herself she was going to do whatever it takes to get back on the outside again. When she was out there, she was not endangering her parole for anyone, considering how the last time panned out.

* * *

There was nobody in H1 apart from Doreen and Boomer having a gossip about the new batch of inmates that arrived in J Block today. That reminded Liz that she needed to go and see Sonia as her move had been completed today. The older blonde was aware that she needed to maintain a close connection with Sonia and make sure that she steered clear of any trouble within the prison so that she could try and get some dirt of her husband and her best friend, Helen, who mysteriously went on a disappearing act. Liz was convinced that she had nothing to do with it until she just seemed overly suspicious and then went to contest for top dog with Kaz. It's always the quiet ones, Liz thought. Jess Warner was quiet, but she turned out to be a child murderer. There is more to Sonia Stevens than meets the eye, the older blonde pondered.

She found said tall brunette sat on the couch watching a television programme. None of her new inmates were anywhere to be seen, most likely in the rec yard. Sonia gave Liz a small smile before offering a seat next to her on the couch. "How are you settling in, love?" Liz asked in a friendly manner. Liz knew that if she was going to get anywhere in this case, she was going to have to get information out of Sonia indirectly and inconspicuously. "I am good. No one seems to be bothering me now, but I have an instinctual feeling that Ms. Mercado is going to be wanting revenge" Sonia admitted, worryingly. "Bea won't let that happen, love. You know that" the older blonde offered with a smile. Sonia appreciated her hospitality, not that she would ever voice it. The best way to remain with strength is to never voice the connections or appreciations you have of somebody else, Sonia reminded herself.

"You don't mind if I just sit here with you? It's just there's nobody else in the unit and I thought you would like a bit of company" Liz said, Sonia smiling in gratitude at the older woman, letting her know that it was okay. Liz went over to the kitchen to make a cup of tea where she went to take a seat next to Sonia. She was watching a soap opera, and in the current scene, a young woman is jealous of a married couple. The young woman's name is Sheyla, and she liked the man called Sean who is married to Anna. Sean and Sheyla used to be in a relationship until he met Anna. The scene that was showing was Sheyla and Anna having a verbal sparring match, with Sean no where to be seen.

Luckily, Liz knew about this programme and the storyline. "I feel sorry for Anna. I think Sean still likes Sheyla. Where's Sean, he's nowhere to be seen!" Liz commentated. Sonia nodded her head. "He's ran off like the good for nothing man he is" Sonia said with venom. This hinted to Liz that this situation was relatable to Sonia. "Sheyla should stop interfering in their business! It's their marriage! Anna's being cheated on, it's obvious!" Sonia shouted at the TV, getting a few looks from inmates that were passing by. "I hope Anna kills them both in cold blood. Scalps their hair first, cheating scum." the tall brunette spat. Liz was intimidated by this comment and it brought her back to the reality that she could have possibly killed her husband and best friend. Was it out of jealousy and spite? Liz could not work on this information alone, she had to find out more.

After a while when the scene had finished and Sonia had calmed down, Liz decided to ask her about her work duty. "What's your new assignment? A lot of people have been shifted around and I'm in the kitchen for some reason" Liz interrogated, Sonia drawing her eyes away from the screen. "I'm rostered in the kitchen. It's not that bad, so I've been told. At least I'll have you there to talk to" Sonia said, giving Liz a smile and a nudge on the shoulder. Sonia looked down to her book before realising she left her glasses in her cell. She was still recovering but wanted her independence. "Oh I've left my glasses in my cell" she said, sighing as she stood up. "I'll get them for you" Liz said, Sonia aggressively grabbing her by the arm and saying "No!". Sonia realised of her sudden outburst and apologised. Liz knew at that time she had to make herself scarce and go and tell Bea and the detective of her findings.

* * *

The older blonde knew that something was up by just how she revealed how emotionally unstable Sonia really was. In some aspects, it reminded her of Joan Ferguson and how she had similar behaviours. As her feet moved quick like a jaguar, she managed to find the redhead and Boomer sat on the couch in their unit. "Bea, I need to talk to you" Liz said with urgency. Bea seemed to notice that it was an important matter and nodded to Boomer before she nodded at her and stood up to join Liz in an area of the unit where nobody would be able to eavesdrop on them. "How's Sonia doing?" the redhead asked, ever knowing that their private conversations would be directed towards the brunette. "I went to see her today" Liz began, Bea nodding. "We were watching a soap opera. Usual stuff." Liz said, Bea taken aback by where Liz was heading with this.

As Liz explained the plot line, she was also intimidated at Sonia's reaction. "She got really jealous and spiteful. It seemed a lot like Sonia's husband and her best friend. I think her best friend and her husband were in a relationship behind her back. Either that or she was just jealous" the older blonde finished, Bea raising an eyebrow in concern. "Sounds like Ferguson" Bea admitted, Liz nodding her head. "I think she has something to hide. I need concrete stuff, Bea, otherwise the detective isn't going to grant my parole" Liz confided, Bea understanding. "I don't want you to risk yourself getting hurt" Bea said protectively. At that moment, Allie had rounded the corner into the cell block and had only heard the last line that Bea had said.

"Playing Wonder Woman again are you?" Allie said as she snaked her arms around Bea's waist from behind. Bea unconsciously relaxed into the presence of Allie's body but brought herself back to civilization when she realised the nature of the problem that she was dealing with. "I'll go and check out her cell" Bea said, Liz giving her thanks before Allie followed Bea over to J Block. The walk there was reasonably long, and Bea realised that she was going to have to be careful if she wanted to snoop around Sonia's cell without her noticing. "Babe, where are you going?" Allie quizzed as she dragged Bea out from her thoughts whilst they were walking. Bea didn't really want to reveal Liz's secret but she knew Allie wouldn't shake off of her.

As they turned the corner, Bea quickly walked over to Sonia's cell, sighing out loud when she saw that it was clear. She dragged Allie into the cell as she quickly observed it. "I'll tell you why we're here later but we need to be quick. We're looking for anything out of the ordinary" Bea admitted, Allie nodding, understanding that the urgency was something that she could not ignore. Bea stared at the wall, which had no photos on. The cell was bleak, blue donning the walls and her furniture bear. It almost looked as if nobody lived there. "She's got OCD. It's clean, I'll tell you that" Allie smiled. Allie went over to reach for Sonia's shower bag where she dropped it on the floor.

Allie bent over to pick the bag up, Bea's eyes unsurprisingly near. However, Allie spotted something. "Babe, I think there's something underneath her bed. There's glue marks" Allie said, Bea squatting right down to see if Allie's suspicions were correct. There was a translucent mark over the floor which would suggest that part of the floor had been ripped off and glue had resealed it down. "Fuck" Bea said under her breath. Allie tried to rip the floor but failed. Bea reached over and ripped it clean off, only to nearly feel sick by what she saw next.

* * *

Liz decided to take a stroll around the prison to try and clear the thoughts of her head. She really did want parole, but she didn't want to risk her life in doing so. When she came to Wentworth, she always assumed her position as the peacemaker, therefore making her exempt from any sort of abuse, except from when she lagged. She didn't know why she was taking the same sort of danger again, and this danger was even worse. However, Liz had a passion for seeing her kids again and reintegrating into society. That's the risk that made it worth it.

As she saw Sonia heading towards J Block, her heart jumped up into her mouth. She knew that Bea and Allie were going to get caught in her cell, and that that would put them both at danger. They had already been through enough. "Hey Sonia!" Liz shouted, getting the tall brunette's attention, however, she was still walking towards the block. "Sonia! Wait up, love" Liz called again, walking as fast as she could to catch up with her. "I wanted to talk to you about earlier" Liz stuttered, as they made the hallway into J1, trying to conjure up any conversation that would slow her on her journey back to her cell. It seemed that someone was on her side, as she stopped and frowned at Liz. "What?" she asked, sharply.

"You seemed a little upset earlier" Liz said, quietly. Sonia raised her eyebrow at this before coming closer. "You should pay less attention. Don't read into things, Elizabeth. They lead to mistakes" Sonia said with venom. She didn't seem to notice Tina grabbing her by the hair from behind. D Block were with Tina, and they all grabbed Sonia quickly. "Oh fuck" Liz said as they dragged her off. Tina was playing with fire: Bea had warned her not to touch Sonia, but it seemed as if the top dog's word counted for nothing in the prison nowadays. They'd placed a gag in her mouth so she couldn't scream or shout, but Bea and Allie sure heard the commotion from inside Sonia's cell.

* * *

"Where the fuck has she got a meat cleaver from?!" Bea whispered with urgency. "I don't know" Allie said, leaning over to get a better look. Bea pushed her away. "Don't touch it or go near it. If she goes and fucking kills someone with it, your DNA will be on there" Bea said, Allie nodding in understanding. "Fuck..." Bea said as she looked at Allie with worry. At that moment, Bea and Allie both heard what sounded like muffled screaming and small talk. It was then closely followed by what could be heard by Liz, who was distressed at whatever was going on outside.

Bea opened the cell door ever so slightly to see Liz advancing towards them, her face pale. "Tina's just dragged Sonia off. I don't know where she's gone!" Liz spoke, Allie coming over straight away to try and calm Liz down. "It'll be okay. Don't worry" Allie said, bringing the older blonde in for a hug, trying to soothe her. "Allie..." Bea said, looking at her shoes. Allie looked at Bea and realised that she was going to have to tell Liz of their discovery in her cell. "She has a fucking meat cleaver under her bed" Allie blurted, Liz frowning and looking at Bea. "We need to reseal the floor with something, but she's got a meat cleaver underneath her bed and I don't know who her target is" Bea said, Liz nodding straight away. "Let's go. I've got some gum to reseal it with" Allie said, the trio heading into Sonia's cell.

* * *

"You stupid fucking bitch!" Tina said as her hand connected with Sonia's face. The gaggle of women had dragged the woman into D Block again, where they had women guarding the hallway, checking for screams. A red mark appeared on Sonia's face as she had her hands behind held by two women. "SCREW" one of the women guarding the door shouted. Tina nearly pissed herself, and ran straight out the unit, along with the rest of the women who joined her extremely quickly. Sonia was left with only a slap to the face, torment which she knew was only going to get worse. She thought that Liz would look out for her, but no, Liz was after her. For some reason. She knew it. That woman had an ulterior motive. Just like her best friend from before Wentworth.

* * *

As Liz entered the room, her eyes connective with Detective Caplin. She exhaled as she sat down straight away: he could tell something was wrong. The trio had managed to reseal the bit of the floor that had been ripped away after Allie had gone to fetch latex gloves for them all to wear to prevent contamination if Sonia ever did decide to go and murder someone. "It's Sonia" she breathed, Detective Caplin stroking his chin as he tried to read her mind and facial expression. "Tell me, Liz" he said, soothingly, a lot different towards the way he was in their last meeting. "She's managed to steal a meat cleaver" Liz said, Detective Caplin's facial expression changing straight away.

"A meat cleaver?" he questioned, needing confirmation. Liz just nodded, the detective sitting up straight, obviously uncomfortable by this revelation. "I mean, this is good news, but if I go and report it, she'll get slotted and we're back to square one" he said, breathing out. "How the hell did she even get it in the first place without anybody noticing?" he asked, Liz shrugging. They sat in silence for about a minute; it adorning the atmosphere aroudn them. Then it clicked. "It's the kitchen. She works in the kitchen, that must be where she got it from. She must've sneaked it out of there" Liz offered, the detective nodding his head.

"She scolded me earlier for questioning how she was acting. She got jealous over a TV programme where this guy and his wife are together, but his wife's best friend is cheating with him. Similar to Sonia's case. She then mentioned about scalping them..." Liz confessed, the detective nearly spitting out his coffee. "Let me write this down. Wait a second.." he said, stopping his speech momentarily. "Helen, Sonia's best friend was found with a scalped head.." the detective spoke, the two finally putting two and two together. "Thank you for this information Liz, it's one step closer to getting paroled. We are going to need more evidence to build this case however" he admitted, Liz understanding.

"Are we just going to have to wait until she goes and murders someone? I mean, I'm trying to cover my own tracks here. I am pretty sure that she is on to me. What if she comes after me with it?" Liz said, obviously distressed. Caplin knew that she was already on edge, not really wanting to comply, but doing it simply out of the love for her children and her love for the world on the other side of the bars of Wentworth. "Listen, Liz" he said, placing his hand on top of hers before she pulled it away, obviously discomforted by his efforts to soothe her. "I can promise you, nothing will happen. We have another three months until her trial, so take it slow, take a breather. We need you as calm as possible, that's the way how we are going to keep you safe" he said, Liz affirming with a nod.

* * *

Tina was fucked, she was shivering from the line of coke that she did beforehand. She was going to kill Sonia by strangling her to death. She'd only ever tried cocaine twice beforehand, but had never got addicted to it. Hakil recommended it to her so that she would be lucid when she murdered her. But Tina wasn't a killer. It didn't go with her business deeds. Sonia deserved to die, yes, she betrayed a contract. She didn't understand why she was the one that had to kill her. As she dawned on those thoughts, she started throwing up in the toilet, getting cold sweats as her body got rid of the line that she did. Her nose felt like rubber, and it was from then on, she was going to tell Hakil that she wasn't going to kill her. She didn't have the courage to, and Tina was not going to spend more time in prison, regardless.


	17. Chapter XVII - Guilty Conscience

**Chapter XVII: Guilty Conscience**

 ***A/N: I can only apologise for not having updated this fanfiction. I've been regularly updating on , but I managed to forget and neglect this site! As an apology, I am going to be uploading the next 11 chapters that I have already put onto the other site. Happy reading folks!***

The mess hall is relatively lively, all inmates engaging in long conversations about their family on the outside, any prison gossip or drama, or generally small talk whilst they are waiting for food in the line. The crew from H1 are already sat down, enduring the finest quality food that the mess hall had to offer. Bea still shares that same teenage glance at Allie, followed by a red blush displayed so perfectly on her face. In the first days of their blossoming relationship, it was small looks like this that set both of their hearts ablaze for one another. However, this time, it was conspicuous and was noticed by all. But they didn't care, they were so in love with each other, the rest of the world didn't even matter.

As the crew sat down to eat their food which was a lovely chicken pasta bake, a young girl came into the mess hall. Bea made eye contact with her instantly, her dilated pupils showing that she was high, her greasy hair displaying that she had no care for any personal hygiene over the last couple of days or weeks. She wore only one sleeve of the hoodie that clothed her, but Bea noticed a strap tightly knotted around her arm. The girl possessed a full one millilitre needle of heroin; enough to get you high within minutes, but also enough to take your life away in an instant. The girl clapped her hands together to try and get everyone's attention, Bea standing up from her seat at this intruding hostility to their peaceful corroboration time in the hall.

"Fuck all of you, and this place!" she screamed, grabbing the needle and pricking it into the vain that had bulged out of the arm which she had the strap on. She pumped her arm with the heroin at ease, it all gone in a second. Bea ran over to her instantly, Allie at her side after having seen the ongoing scene that was unfolding under her eyes. The young girl, who Bea now recognised as Rose Falkner, was a twenty two year old girl. She had been in Wentworth a year for robbing a gas store while high. Her parents kicked her out as she was a wild teen, but she was a very intelligent girl who just got into the wrong crowds. Now Bea could see that displayed infront of her as the girl collapsed and her eyes rolled back in her head.

She dropped the needle, and Kaz seemed to also be in the vicinity as an immediate response to this disruption. Nobody seemed to be helping which infuriated Allie who was incredibly stressed at the situation. "Can somebody fucking help her?" she screamed, someone managing to press the panic button out of pure sense. The alarm rang in all of the women's ears, causing an uprising of chatter. Everyone was standing around to look at the situation, whereas Allie was just screaming her head off trying to do something for the younger girl. "Bea" Kaz said, that one word just telling her that she needed to remove Allie from this situation before she stressed herself out even further.

Bea placed a hand on Allie's shoulder and picked her up in her arms before carrying her off. "Shh...it'll be okay" she soothed as the younger blonde sobbed into her arms. Kaz decided to try and apply some emergency first aid. She kicked the needle away from the girl before checking tilting her head up to see if she was breathing. No air coming from her lungs. "Fuck" Kaz said, trying to keep her cool. Maxine saw how stressed that the older blonde was getting and tried to diffuse the situation. "ALL OF YOU! FUCK OFF!" she yelled, the women taking initiative and leaving quickly. Kaz had managed to take the woman's hoodie off and interlocked her fingers to begin chest compressions on Falkner's chest. After thirty, she checked to see if she was breathing. No response.

Will and Vera came around the corner and burst into the mess hall to find Kaz on her hands and knees trying to revive this girl who had clearly just overdosed. "Call a fucking ambulance!" Will ordered to one of the guards who shot off to do so. "Kaz, Kaz, back off" he said as the older blonde took her hands off Falkner's chest and stood up to watch Will's attempt to also revive her. It was at that point that Vera decided to keep her airways clear by pulling her head back and Will tried to get her heart starting again. Rose then started foaming at the mouth as a reaction to the heroin overdose, and anyone could tell by her pale, clammy and cold skin, that she was dead.

Will's perseverance meant that he was not going to let Vera take the wrap for having another prisoner die on her watch due to drugs. In his eyes, she'd already been through enough shit when Ferguson was an inmate here and when she emotionally abused her when she was her deputy. She'd be lucky to keep her job if the board found out about it. As he kept pumping away, the guard that he had sent told them that the ambulance was outside. "Will, Will, leave it..." Vera said, Will finally stopping after unsuccessfully trying to save her. "Fuck..." Kaz said as she walked out of the mess hall, trying to get the thoughts of seeing someone die right in front of her out of her head. She decided that she should go and see Allie to go and see how she is.

For Allie, she didn't know why she reacted like she did. Well she did, and it was understandable. But the reality of something like that was in the past, but for her, it was something that could still happen. If she didn't have Bea, she knew that she would be back on the gear. She stopped because she knew she had to - another overdose could kill her, the doctor had said. Bea was her reason, much like Allie was Bea's reason, for them to both keep on living so that they could be together. The young blonde just envisaged these flashbacks of her on the outside, hooked on the most detrimental poison, with a needle in her arm and her bicep strapped up, lying there with foam out of her mouth. That nightmare was from the past, but it was one that still haunted her.

And of course, nobody could blame her. That's exactly how Bea had found her when Ferguson had hot-shotted her in the showers. Secretly, it had shook Bea up too. Not that she would tell anyone. As she carried the sobbing blonde back into H1 and into her cell, she laid her down on the bed, and positioned herself on the bed up against the wall so that Allie could rest her head in Bea's lap. "Shh...I know" Bea soothed, Allie calming down quite explicitly since she and Bea were left alone in the cell together. "I...I felt like...that could've been me...and...it was just-" Allie said between sobs, still trying to maintain some sort of dignity as all of her emotional baggage came out at once.

Bea understood, just like Allie had understood when she caught her self harming. It was a spiritual connection between the two, when one of them was suffering, the other was understanding. The two were truly meant for each other and inseparable. "Shh...I know baby" she replied, kissing the girl's forehead as she cradled her. Allie stopped crying now, and was just lost in the silence of her thoughts. Even though the two weren't talking, she was just grateful for the redhead's presence. Nurse Radcliffe came and opened the cell door with two weak sleeping tablets and a cup of water. "For her. She'll be out an hour or so" the nurse said before placing the items on the bedside table and leaving to return to her duties. Bea reached over and placed the tablets in Allie's mouth before handing her the cup of water to swallow them. She nodded in appreciation before going back to close her eyes on Bea's lap.

Kaz wanted to go and see how Allie was doing but as she saw the two of them both fast asleep, Allie's head in Bea's lap and Bea somehow managing to sleep upright, she decided it was best to leave them be. On her way out, she saw the rest of the H1 crew looking rather shocked at the events of today. "You want a cuppa, love?" Liz had offered, Kaz politely declining, however asking the crew to go and tell Bea and Allie that she had came to visit when they were asleep. The crew peered inside the cell door and all admired the scene before them. "They are so cute" Liz commented, Maxine agreeing. "Let's leave them be, hey?" Maxine offered, everyone agreeing as they took a seat on the unit's table and couch, flicking on the TV to see what useless soap operas were on, but really, it was to drown out the horrible scene that had played before them today.

"I'm not fucking having it!" Vera screamed as she hurled her mouse at the other end of her office. She was furious; Kaz and Bea had said that they were going to take down the drug supply, and here she was, filling out paperwork for a poor twenty two year old girl that was being led out of Wentworth in a bodybag on a gurney, out to be buried by a family that she may or may not have. Vera found it audacious - she had entrusted in them to do a simple job and it had not been completed. "I want Proctor and Smith up here. Now." Vera said sternly, Will only replying with: "Yes, governor". He knew better than to cross Vera on a day like this. She was furious.

Bea had no idea why Mr. Jackson had awoken her from her peaceful slumber with Allie, but the young blonde didn't even seem to notice. She was well and truly knocked out by those pills. Proctor informed her that she had come to visit them when they were asleep, but decided not to interrupt. When the redhead asked the blonde about what the governor may possibly want to do with them, Kaz only suggested that it was to do with the young girl that had overdosed today. Nobody knew whether she had died or not, and Bea secretly hoped that she had not. She just really hoped that another girl had not succumbed herself and got herself hooked on the poison that Mercado had to offer. She didn't need that on her conscience, and neither did Kaz.

As the two entered the office, Jackson briskly shut the door, anticipating for the shouting that was about to commence next. Vera was hunched over her desk, her hair a mess, her face red, and her uniform somewhat discombobulated. Vera looked over to the two women as she gripped the desk with such an anger, it seemed as if she was going to literally explode in about a second. The fact that anyone would even make the assumption that she was losing control of her prison due to the amount of inmates dying under her administration made her full to the brim with such an anger and rage, she felt as if she could murder someone. Instead, she decided it would be best to take it out on the two women that she had trusted with the duty of keeping the women safe, which was an irony in itself, considering it was her job as governor to make sure that everything was coordinated properly and so that she could control the inmates. Textbook, that's great. When it came to practicality, not so good. It was inmates who ran the prison, the governor just got the name tag and uniform for it.

Vera said down and bunched her hair. "Another woman dead. I trusted you.." Vera said in a quiet voice: she was ready to burst any second. "Hypothetically speaking here - it's not on us that one of your inmates died due to an overdose" Kaz quipped in, wanting to make sure that her side of the story was heard before Vera made any sort of accusation and started playing the blame game with both her and Bea. "YOUR FUCKING JOB IS TO OVERSEE THE WOMEN! NOT TO FUCKING OVERSEE THEM DIE!" Vera hurled at Proctor, spitting all over her as she did so. "Governor, we didn't know it was this bad" Bea offered, Vera seeming to calm down after sympathising with the redhead.

"You need to do something about it. And fast. This is another fucking paperwork battle with the board" Vera said angrily, still annoyed at Proctor's blatant provocative comment. "Ms. Bennett, me and Proctor are already working out a plan to find out how Tina gets it in the prison and where it is stashed. The minute we find something, we will let you know, I promise" Bea said, Vera nodding. "Okay...both of you, go" Vera said, tiredly. She was trying her best to her job as governor but as she is not purely in control of everything, it drives her insane when something does not go to plan, because it will be the board penalizing her when it gets to reporting anything that has happened.

Tina's been up all night thinking about how she would approach this situation. She has visualised it in about a thousand different ways, none of them seem to present a viable outcome for her. She wants to tell Hakil that she will not murder Sonia Stevens - she is not a murderer, no. She will not risk getting more years, or even life, in prison to be able to fulfill a business protocol that she may never see again. If she got life, Hakil would saw his ties with her. She would be left alone in prison, with no chance of ever seeing the free world again to spend her luxuries. No, Tina wanted to be alive and free.

But Tina knows that she is pained by the safety and security of Wentworth. She seems to be oblivious to the power of the syndicate that she belongs to, and the power that the Jackal possesses, the riches he has. She's been in prison long enough to not be worried by the aftermath of what may possibly happen to her, as it just does not seem a reality. Tina has usually managed to downplay things a lot of the time and avoid violence, and she, herself, has never been a victim of the Jackal's violence. She would only hope that Hakil would sympathise with her and try to convince the Jackal that she was not emotionally, mentally, and physically capable of taking someone's life. High or not. No, she just could not do it.

As she entered the visitors room, she was sweating like a pig in the Sahara desert. Her palms were engrossed in liquid as she went to sit down. Hakil noticed this straight away, that she was unnerved by something, but was also curious to see whether she had done the deed or not. "Did you do it?" he asked in Korean, making sure that nobody would be able to eavesdrop and insinuate on their conversation. Tina looked to her shoes and simply shook her head. She didn't know what to say - she was at a loss for words.

"Fuck!" he shouted, slamming his hands on the table. This made Tina jump and brought the attention of all the other inmates and their respective visitors in the room. "Keep it down or I'm going to have to ask you to leave" Ms. Miles said across the room, Hakil scowling at her. "When are you planning to strike?" he asked, needing to know confirmation before he left. Tina decided it was time. She made eye contact with the Asian man and prepared herself for what she was about to say next.

"Hakil, I can't do what the Jackal asks. I was lucid when I tried, but a screw came. I don't think I would've been able to carry it through. I feel as if someone is watching me all the time and I'm suffering from paranoia and insomnia. I don't understand why I have to do it, I don't have the right fucking mindset. I'm good at what I do, getting product, distributing it, getting profit. Taking a life is a whole different ballgame. I want to be able to actually leave this prison not more fucked up than when I came in, and to actually be able to leave it. You think they won't fucking catch me?" Tina said, Hakil not surprised at this confession. Inconspicuously, he seriously doubted that he would even be able to carry out the task, but he needed Tina to do it, for him. Otherwise, he would also be killed as collateral damage. This is what it was like in this sort of business. A lot of money with a lot of danger. Some people made a lot of money, but never got to spend it. Hakil never wanted to be one of these people and neither did Tina.

"Look Tina, I know it's hard, okay?" he said softly, reaching out to touch her hand over the table. "But I need you to do this, I wouldn't ask if I have any other option. I would do it myself, instead of you, but I cannot. This is what the Jackal says. Now listen, you go, get a good nights sleep. You figure out how you're going to do it, and you do it well. Take some time. You take the gear I gave you, maybe three lines will do, you'll be lucid enough to know what you are doing but not more so to know what you have actually done when you've woken up. It'll be over before you know it. You need to do this, for me, at least. Me and you - we will both die if she doesn't. That is the nature in a business like this. When you leave Wentworth, and you will, me and you, we'll go travelling the world. The Jackal is giving us a six figure payday if we do this, we'll be made for life. Please, Tina, I am begging you" Hakil said, almost in desperation now, hoping to God that with everything he had persuaded her.

"Okay."


	18. Chapter XVIII - One Track Mind

**Chapter XVIII - One Track Mind**

As Boomer dipped her mop into the bucket full of fresh water, she proceeded to wipe the last of the D Block corridor. Snortz had gone back to go and grab some disinfectant from the stores in the kitchen, when she heard some faint voices. One sounded Korean, and a lot like Kim Chang. Boomer and Kim had a good friendship when they both hated Franky, but had become a bit more distant since Kim decided to side with her heritage and hang around with Tina, who had allied with the D Block crew. Boomer peeped round the corner to find Kim and a girl from D Block with ruffled hair and a slanted jaw talking. Boomer turned her head so that she could make out what they were saying.

"It's in the bottles of bleach. That's where it will be for the next three weeks, Tina's orders. Remember, hide it in that vent up in the library and Tina will come and collect it later" Kim said as she dismissed the girl. Boomer went back to the cart that she had and found Snortz with the bottle of disinfectant. "The fuckin' bitch has been puttin' gear in the fuckin' bottles of bleach" Boomer said in a loud whisper. "Shh! We don't want them to hear" Snortz said as she ruffled her pink hair. Boomer stuck her tongue out before Snortz bent over to pick up the bottle of bleach. "In here?" she asked in a whisper, the large woman just nodding. Snortz unscrewed the cap off the bottle to find three balloons of what looked like heroin floating on top.

"Oh shit" Boomer said as she saw Kim coming towards them. Snortz looked to her right to see Kim advancing towards them. Kim walked up to Boomer before saying: "D Block told me to tell you to hurry up. They want to get their shift over and done with" she said, walking off. Snortz visibly exhaled. "Close call" she said as she tried to fish out the heroin from the bottle. After about two minutes, she'd managed to get all three balloons out. Boomer and she both inspected each balloon, and confirmed that they were heroin. A fine, brown powder situated inside the balloon, probably a gram, Snortz had estimated. "These look similar to the ones that Kim planted on Franky when she was tryna' fuck with her parole" Boomer confirmed. "Looks like they're back in business" Snortz said.

The pair both managed to fold the balloons back together and place them inside the bottle. They put the cap of the bottle back onto the bleach before returning it to its position on the tray. "D'you reckon they've got more of that shit? Like, in the stores?" Boomer asked, Snortz nodding. "It's a large operation. They won't be putting it in just one bottle. It'll be in every single one. Tina won't make that much risk by just trafficking three grams. She needs to make profit, remember" Snortz reminded her, Boomer nodding. "Bea and Kaz are gonna be pissed. What d'you reckon they'll do?" the brunette woman asked, Snortz concerned for her curiosity.

"I don't know. Tina will be going down, that's for sure. They'd started to make an uprising when loads of women were dying under Sonia's rule" Snortz stated as she continued to mop the floor. "Sonia might have summin' to do with this actually...maybe they're secretly working together again" Boomer thought out loud. "Oh no wait...Tina's bashed her a few times, never mind" Boomer said, smacking herself on the head for her own lack of intelligence. Snortz rubbed her back and gave a heartily laugh as the pair finished their work duty and handed the cart over to the girls of D Block. "Let's go. It'll be evening meals soon" Snortz said, eyeing Boomer. "Awh yeah, hope they have sausages" Boomer said as the pair walked back to their respective units.

On the journey to find out if there were any more ways to get the gear into the prison, Kaz and Mel decided to check out the visitors centre. Kim was well known for being Tina's second in command, and had never missed a visitors meeting. The pair both wondered if this was another way that they managed to get the gear in. Mel decided to meet with her sister once more to have the excuse of being in the room, and Kaz decided that she would go through the horrifying process of meeting with her mother. The need to quell the drug supply in the prison was at its highest imperative, so Kaz decided that she would put herself through half an hour of lecturing and denial of Kaz's childhood sexual abuse just for the sake of making sure that another woman did not fall prey to Tina's gear.

As the pair both entered the visitors room after fulfilling a mandatory strip search, Kaz's eyes directed straight over to her mother. She had bags under her eyes, and looked like the last time she had had sleep was 20 years ago. Mel walked over to her sister before taking a seat. The pair were both eyeing Kim as they sat down. She was being greeted by a male, and they shared a snog. It was more than a snog by the looks of it, as Kaz could've sworn she saw something in the man's mouth being passed over to Kim. "Alright, enough" Jackson said as the pair split apart. Kim swallowed whatever it was that she was carrying from the man before taking a seat. The two women both noticed this exchange. It was another way of Tina's routes.

"Make sure you use oil to get that out later" the man said in Korean, Mel understanding every word but Kaz directing her attention to her mother. "Why did you want to visit me, Karen? If you spent half the time looking at other inmates in this prison, I might as well go home" her mother said, sharply. "You look like shit" Kaz spat with a venomous tone. "Language, Karen" her mother replied before folding her arms. Mel was ignoring her sister and whatever problem her and her boyfriend got into this time, and was too focused on the exchange between Kim and the man. It seemed so out of the ordinary.

"How much do you have?" Kim asked the man, who looked around briefly before looking at Kim again. "5 grams" he replied before smiling at her. Kaz ignored whatever lecture her mother was going on about and also focused on the exchange. "Mel?" her sister quizzed, bringing her back to reality. "Yeah?" she said, finally drawing her eyes away from Kim. Her sister then continued to speak about an argument she had had with her boyfriend over the weekend and how she had nearly kicked him out.

The man then reached inside his pocket and had five clear bags of what looked like cocaine and passed it to Kim underneath the table. Kaz went red when she saw this. "Karen? You don't look very well" her mum said, Kaz looking back to her mum. "That's the first time you've ever paid attention" Kaz sneered at her mother, not impressed by her intentions to actually act like a mother for the first time in her life. Mel drew her eyes away from her sister to look at Kim once more to see her covering her face, pretending to sneeze, but in reality, she was swallowing the bags that the man had given her.

Kaz looked over to Mel: they had seen enough. "I'll see you later, I don't feel well" Mel said as she rubbed her stomach and left the visitors room quickly. "I'm done" Kaz said as she stood up and also followed Mel out of the room. Once they had both been through strip searches on their way out, they waited outside the admissions door for visitors. "She's swallowing gear in for Tina. I counted six bags" Mel whispered. Kaz nodded her head. "We need to find out how she gets it out and where" Kaz offered, Mel agreeing. "She uses oil to get it out of her system. We need to find specifically where though" Mel said, putting a lock of her brown hair behind her ear.

At that point, Kim came out of the visitors room looking sick and walking quite fast to what looked like the H Block toilets, which were the closest. They followed her inconspicuously, before finding Tina led on the wall just outside of the toilets. Mel and Kaz pretended to engage in conversation whilst they waited for Kim to come out of the toilets. Ten minutes after, she came out and handed six bags of cocaine to Tina before the two headed their separate ways. "Well, that's one way" Mel said as she high-fived Kaz to get ready for evening meal.

Bea folded the linen sheets and handed them to Maxine. "I need two women downstairs to offload the van!" one of the male guards announced. The tall brunette woman gave her a nod to signal that it was time. They had both decided to check out the van that delivered the laundry every other day to see if there was a way that the girls from D Block were getting any gear in. It would be too obvious in the laundry itself, especially with Bea being there. She would kill anyone that was trying to traffick through there, and therefore they had to be smart about it. "Dors, look after the press" Bea called out as she exited the doors to the laundry and walked down the staircase with her second in command.

As they entered the fresh air, the van was parked up, and one of the girls from D Block anticipating the back doors to open. Maxine stood around one side of the van and Bea stood around the other. The girl was a small girl who had blood-red hair. She started biting her nails, obviously out of nervousness. "Go on then, love" Maxine said warmly to the girl as the doors opened. She nodded as her and Bea spent about five minutes getting the bags of laundry off the van. Maxine saw that there was a package sellotaped to the arch of the wheel, and suspected that it was gear. She decided to ignore it, but as Bea and her were of the same mind, as Maxine carted off the bags, Bea watched the woman collect the package conspicuously from the vehicle. She was shocked as the guard didn't even notice.

"I need to go to the loo" the girl said as soon as she got back in the laundry. The male guard signaled for one of the female guards to take her. Bea instinctively nodded at Maxine and proceeded to follow the girl. Upon leaving the laundry, she bumped into Kaz and Mel on their way back to H3. "Follow that girl. She's got Tina's gear" Bea said quickly as she dashed back to her work station, not wanting to get slotted for not completing her shift. Kaz and Mel followed her, which was pretty hard, considering she was walking extremely quickly.

At that point, the alarm sounded for the end of work duty for everyone who did not have a visitor that day, excluding those who worked in the kitchen. They had work duty later than anyone else but also finished later. They still ended doing the two hour shift. As the girl entered the bathroom, the guard left her, and therefore Kaz and Mel continued to stalk her. They found her enter the library, placing the relatively large package into a vent before leaving. Kaz and Mel both went over to the vent to find it full to the brim with gear. It was obvious that this was a main storage place for Tina. "Looks like Bea's found us another way" Kaz said as they went back to their units.

Allie and Liz were busy chopping up carrots for today's meal when the delivery came in. Allie and Liz were on duty today, and had the job of collecting the goods from the sally port. As they stepped out into the cold air, Liz carried a box of poultry whereas Allie was carrying a shipment of onions. When they came in, Tina was the first one to ask where the onions were. Allie pointed out the box to her, but she was saved from having to do any work, as Ms. Miles pulled her to the side for a quick chat. Allie couldn't hear them, but she checked the box of onions. Five of them had been placed down, and therefore Allie decided to take all five of them and stuff them inside the chicken.

Tina frowned at both Allie and Liz, not liking the extra attention she was getting, before stomping off to prepare the food. "Eww" Allie said as she pulled out the onions that were now covered in slime from the package. "Why'd you get those love?" Liz asked, Allie ignoring her as she grabbed a knife and sliced into one. Immediately, her eyes started watering, however, her eyes were not mistaken that she saw a clear one gram bag of heroin inside. "What the heck.." Liz said as she looked over at the bag. "Allie love, you need to get rid of that" Liz said worriedly. Ms. Miles came over straight away, and Allie had no choice but to hide the heroin in her bra.

"Fifteen minutes ladies, Mercado's offered to take the shift" she smirked as she walked off. "Fuck" Allie said under her breath as she took the bag from her bra and placed it an old storage container that Tina used to use for her gear. Allie decided to hack into the other four onions, finding they all contained the similar, one gram bag of fine powdered heroin. Liz helped her place all the bags back into the pot that Tina used to use. The two of them continued working in silence, dicing the carrots before Miles escorted them out of the kitchen. How much gear did Tina need? How much was she supplying? No wonder this prison was so riddled with junkies, Allie thought.

Nobody said anything about the day until the arranged meeting after the evening count. Bea sat on the couch with Allie sat on her lap, hands around her neck. Boomer and Maxine also sat on the couch, Doreen shut herself in her cell, and the rest of H3 taking seats or standing up. "So, me and Mel both found Kim Chang swallowing six grams of coke. She shits it out in the toilets using oil, washes the gear, then gives it to Tina. When we followed the girl that Bea had clocked, she stored that large package up in the vent in the library. I can only assume that's where Tina's main stash point is" Kaz stated, the rest of the women agreeing and taking in this new information.

"Tina's stashing shit in the onions. They're placed face down in the box, Tina takes it out and then goes and stores it" Allie said, Liz agreeing. Bea kissed her forehead as the rest of the women took their turn to speak. "Me and Booms found some gear in the bleach bottles down on cleaning crew" Snortz admitted. "That's the four ways then" Kaz finalised, the women agreeing. "That large package was sellotaped to the rim of the van that takes the laundry" Maxine spoke, everyone shocked at exactly how much Tina was bringing in on a daily basis. "How the fuck has she not been found out?" Bea asked, everyone shrugging their shoulders.

"I guess me and you will go and lag on her tomorrow" Kaz said to Bea, the redhead nodding. "No more talk of this now. The last thing we need is for her to be tipped off and we lose all the proof that we have at the minute" the older blonde said. The H3 crew stood up to leave as Allie embraced them all in a hug before Miles came round and collected them. As Liz went round to grab tea for all of the girls, Bea was engrossed in her thoughts. Her mind dawned back to the time when she first came to Wentworth, when she was fearing whatever was waiting for her inside these bars.

Amidst all of the events that had happened, Bea never envisaged herself with a family of a inexorable likeness to them. Liz, who was like the mother hen, Maxine who was Bea's best friend and might as well have been her sister, Boomer who is everybody's hard nut comical softie, Doreen with a maternal nature about her and her passion about the women, and finally Allie, who is everything Bea has ever wanted and more. As the young blonde led the redhead to her cell, she felt a little sentimental as their eyes locked, their bodies moving together as one as they crashed on the bed, and their tongues sliding across one another in perfect tandem. "You're perfect, and I love you" Bea said, much to Allie's expectancy, as she re-joined their lips together in a deep kiss. Allie has never been short of perfect for Bea, and in her eyes, is her world. She has never given Bea anything less than that.


	19. Chapter XIX - Unintended Consequences

**Chapter XIX: Unintended Consequences**

No words were spoken between the pair. Allie was heart-warmed by Bea's confession, yet she knew she should not be so: the woman was well and truly in love with her, and the reciprocation was even from the blonde's side. The redhead had since stripped of her clothing and had assisted Allie along the way, so that their bodies could be reconnected physically and emotionally, together like a sculpture that people came to admire. As the two shared deep and intimate kisses, Allie took the opportunity to flip them over, wanting to make sure that it was Bea who wasn't going to reciprocate tonight, knowing that she would need all the energy in the world tomorrow.

Allie moved her lips down to the redhead's perfect jaw, one that made her look so perfect and an absolute god-send vision of beauty. She caressed her tongue lightly as she dropped down to the older woman's neck, sucking lightly, leaving a small but visible bruise. That act in its own earned the blonde a deep moan from her partner, one that sent a throb right down to her core, like a spark of electricity. Her fingers traced, stroking lightly before she kissed gently at her lover's collarbone, knowing well and truly how much this was affecting her and loving every single minute of it.

Allie's hands had since moved from her collarbone down to Bea's breasts, palming them yet sucking at the swell of her chest, knowing that this was pleasuring her to the absolute maximum. She rolled a nipple between her thumb and forefinger while licking at the other breast, switching every so often so that Allie could make sure that every part of Bea's body was attended to. She wanted to engross the redhead in all her love tonight, and in this, was trying to take her mind off of the fact that she was opening herself yet to more danger tomorrow.

The blonde's fingers stroked lightly at Bea's abdomen, rejoicing in some deep octaved groans at the back of her throat, making her smirk. "I think you're the perfect one, babe" Allie replied to her lover's confession as her hand drifted down to place the pads of her fingers on her lover's clit, the moaning now increasing in decibel level. The young blonde then placed her hand further down her lover's core through the obvious wetness before slipping two fingers gently yet meaningfully inside her lover. "Oh my God, Allie" the redhead croaked, as her lover built up pace and rhythm.

Bea never knew what real sex was like; it used to be such a chore to her with Harry when he just took it whenever he wanted. She never wanted to have sex with him because it was never pleasurable to her, and being her first, she never got to knew what real sex was like. Until she met Allie. The spiritual and physical connection shared between two people, how Allie got in her mind like no one else could ever do, and how she was brought to the brink again and again, and how it made her feel so good.

The redhead's walls were soon contracting around Allie's fingers, the blonde knowing that she was close. In an attempt to try and bring pleasure to her lover faster, she curled her fingers with every thrust inside her lover, which made the moans even louder. Allie herself was impressed to how nobody had come and told them to keep the noise down yet, but secretly, she didn't even care. She wanted the whole prison to know. It was evident anyway. And then it happened. Bea's mouth formed a perfect circular shape as a silent moan fell upon them both. Bea could've sworn she was seeing clouds, and Allie, she had never seen anyone so perfect.

"You ready?" Kaz asked as they waited outside of Governor Bennett's office, waiting to be called in. Bea nodded, knowing that once they had done this, danger was imminent. No one would really know how this was all going to pan out, who Tina would blame, but Bea sure as hell knew that she was not going to let anyone touch Allie. No. She was going to defend her with her life, for the rest of her life. She sworn so after she got released back to Wentworth and they rekindled their relationship once more. "You can go in" Bridget Westfall said as she opened the door to the governor's office before walking away.

The pair walked in, not even bothering to take a chair. "We know who traffics your drugs, Ms. Bennett. And we know how" Bea remarked, Kaz smiling. Vera smiled sarcastically, thinking that this was one big joke. "Right. Care to tell me?" Bennett asked impatiently, wanting to know whether this was purely a waste of her time or some credible information, for once. "Tina Mercado. She's got four main routes of trafficking drugs into the prison" the older blonde said, Vera folding her arms and gesturing for the two to take a seat whilst she got out a notepad and pen to record the information.

"Kim Chang swallows gear off a client for Tina. Tina gets her oil, and you can figure out the rest. Once she's got rid of the packages in her system, she gives them to Tina. She's got girls in cleaning crew as well. Gear is put in the bleach bottles and is taken out by girls from D Block, so I can only guess that it's also in the stores. They're also in the onions in the kitchen, placed face down in the box. In the laundry van, it's also taped to the inside rim of the front left wheel. A girl takes it and asks to go to the bathroom and then hides it in the vent in the library. I can only guess its her main storage point" Kaz stated, Vera scribbling at her notepad, trying to absorb all of this new information.

"If you want Mercado, you're going to have to take down Chang and her other D Block allies too" Bea said, Vera nodding before clicking her pen. "Thank you. Hopefully this will put an end to drugs in this prison" Bennett said before placing a strand of hair that had fell upon her face behind her ear. Bea and Kaz stood up to leave, Mr. Jackson both escorting them back to their units. Tina wouldn't know what was going to hit her.

The day after, Vera arranged a crew of eight officers, split into four teams of two; one who would slot the offender, and one who would collect the evidence. Throughout the day, they were going to tackle an individual way of how Mercado got drugs into the prison. Vera had decided that she would co-ordinate this small operation, whilst Mr. Jackson would handle the interrogations when they were in the slot. Vera had made the decision to take the kitchen first, taking out Mercado so that she wouldn't get spooked when her assailants were put into the slot. She had briefed them clearly on what they had to do, and the objective was clear: stop the flow of drugs coming in through Wentworth.

Kingston, a guard who was one of Vera's finest guards after the fire, was on duty in the kitchen. He was just waiting until Mercado made a jump on the box of onions before slotting her. He made sure that his body camera was on, so that she could be charged, and that there would be enough sufficient evidence that could be presented in court so that she could be prosecuted.

Vera was watching on the CCTV in the kitchen. It had been put in after Ferguson's murder attempt on Bea, and was ultimately done to prevent anything of the same occurring again. She saw Mercado lift a box which said "onions" on it, and knew that this was the best time that Kingston made a move. "She's got the box. Wait until she's got them all out" she said over the radio quietly. "10-4" Kingston replied as he waited for his moment.

Tina had only just finished getting out all of the onions from the box. She picked up a knife to cut into them and had successfully managed to see the gear when she heard a man's voice from behind. "Mercado, place down the knife and step away from the counter!" a guard yelled from behind. "Fuck" she cursed in Korean, throwing her plastic gloves on the counter, knowing she had been busted. "Fuck, fuck, fuck" she thought to herself as the guard came over with blue gloves on. "You're going to the slot" he announced as he handcuffed her before taking her away. Kingston's backup arrived just in time to seize the evidence before bringing it back to Vera.

"Right, on to the next one. We've got the leader, now we just need to get the workers" Vera announced as she looked over to the sally port CCTV. Bea and Maxine luckily had decided to stay inside the laundry area, as anyone outside of it would have been slotted for questioning, even if they knew they were involved or not. It was the same girl with blood-red hair that was collecting this day, and unfortunately for her, she was going to get more time on her sentence. Vera recognised her as Tianna O' Connell, a woman who had only been in for one year, and her parole was due up soon. It looked like she was about to get an extended stay.

"Wood, you've only got a limited amount of time with this one. You need to get O' Connell when she had the contraband in her hand" Vera ordered over the radio. The man who was a new correctional officer at Wentworth, having been transferred from Walford after wanting to get a fresh start, wanted to make a name for himself, which he decided that the best way to do that was to be the best as he could be, which earned him in Vera's good books.

The young woman with the ratty hair walked over to the corner of the vehicle and pretended to drop something, which Wood knew, was a distraction trick to get the drugs. "O' Connell, stop what you are doing right now and face me!" he said, the young woman complying but looking increasingly nervous. "What's that?" he pointed to the floor to which a large package was now on the floor. "It's not mine!" the young woman cried as Wood's partner collected the package before sending O' Connell off to solitary.

Will had decided to assist Vera in her co-ordination, after making the decision to do the interrogations after they had all be slotted. "Chambers, can you hear me?" he asked over the radio. "Got it" said Chambers, who was a large female guard who had been working at Wentworth for the past five years. She was respected by all due to her good-nature and her fairness as a prison officer. "All you need to do is to slot Chang, the police officers are waiting to arrest her visitor. We'll give you the go-ahead" Jackson said, Chambers saying that she received the message.

Vera was just waiting for the moment. The CCTV captured everything as Chang swallowed about six packets of a substance under the table. "Go" was the words that were heard over the radio, and suddenly, five police officers tackled her visitor to the ground whilst Chambers grabbed hold of Chang and put her in handcuffs. "We're going to the slot!" she shouted as her colleague managed to retrieve the drugs off the floor. "Good work guys" Jackson said over the radio, proud that they had almost nailed this in the coffin.

Vera installed all her trust into a guard by the name of Harrison to try and stop the drugs coming in through the stores. Harrison had waited until the switch-over from H Block to D Block before making his move. Bennett had also asked Jackson to slot the girl that was in charge of the cleaning stores, who also happened to be coincidentally from D Block. Harrison didn't need no instruction, he knew that when the switch over happened, there was going to be some sort of exchanging of gear. Jenkins had handed over the cleaning cart to a girl called Masters who was one of Sonia's most trusted women until she switched sides.

She turned the corner where she took the lid of the bleach off before shoving her hand down, looking at Harrison as if she had just killed someone. "What's in your hand?" Harrison asked, the girl now looking more worried as she opened her hand to show five small tin foil wraps. Harrison didn't hesitate, he got out his handcuffs before bagging the evidence, waiting to give it to the governor later. Vera watched this all on CCTV, and was very proud of her team's efforts. This would make her look good for the board also, and maybe, just maybe, get them off her back for a little bit.

Will Jackson had managed to slot the girl in charge of the stores, Aleida Riviera. Vera had managed to debrief her team, thanking them all for their efforts. As it stood, she had Mercado, Chang, O' Connell, Riviera and Masters in the slot. She had decided that the best thing to do would be to confront her right hand in order to be able to make the best decision for the best outcome, which would to be to add more time to Mercado's sentence, in the hope that she would finally learn her lesson.

"Come in, Will" Vera said, with a beaming smile. Her smile radiated across the room like sunlight, instead of her poker-face that she wore on a daily basis. "So, I think the best way to approach this is if I interrogate Mercado, and you go for the other four? That way they might crack" Vera suggested, taking a sip of her coffee while her deputy nodded. "Yeah, sure, whatever you want" Will said, Vera smiling. "Well, let's do it then"

Five hours later...

"I'm sure you'd like to know Mercado that I won't be needing any evidence off you. Your friends have already admitted everything" Vera announced across the table, very happy that Jackson had managed to extract confessions from all of her accomplices. After a threatening of extended sentences, all of them admitted it, in a desperate attempt to come off as lightly as possible form the situation.

"Now, I can make life easier for you Mercado. Those girls...they're going to blame you for what's happened to them. Now I can put you into protection, it's your right. But, if you don't admit it, you're going to be in general population for a long time, and I can assure you, it's not going to be pretty. The correctional service does not want to put away more bodies and bury them in the ground. My advice to you is to admit your wrongdoings, and sign this form to go into protection. There you will be safe from any more things that can extend your sentence" Bennett said, knowing what the answer was going to be, however she was shocked by what was going to happen next.

Tina Mercado had admitted to all of the crimes, explaining how the whole operation worked, including lagging on her crew from outside. The police took this information and agreed on a plea deal for her, which would mean that out of the maximum sentence she could get handed to her, she could only serve 75% of that sentence. Mercado wasn't happy at all about it, but she knew that there was now no going back.

Mr. Jackson had only just released her from the slot, and after been sleep deprived of having to deal with the consequences of an even longer sentence, she decided that she just wanted to hit the hay. As she closed the door, she did not notice the large group of women behind her as the door was opened again. "What do you want?" Mercado asked spitefully, with no conviction in her voice. O' Connell, Masters, Riviera and Chang were all stood at the front, with looks that could kill. Mercado knew what was going to happen.

She was dragged out of the cell into the middle of the hallway with a gang of about 20 women surrounding her, all D Block members. "You fucking bitch! I've got more time because of you" one shouted, others joined in, kicking and punching Tina as she was rained on by blows of all the women. "We should've stayed with Sonia, not fucking you!" others shouted, a round of yes' going around the crowd. There was a huge mass of shouting until Bea Smith came round the corner after she heard all the noises. "What the fuck" Bea said as she saw Tina crumpled up on the floor. "SCREW!" one of the girls yelled as she saw a guard coming up to try and see what had gone on. Bea bolted out of the hallway as did the other women like bulls in a stampede.

It wasn't long until the guard found her and requested medical assistance. From what the guard could see, she definitely had fractured some of her ribs and gained a black eye, and almost definitely had internal bleeding. It was not long until the panic button rang around the prison, and everybody decisively knew who was the victim this time. However, she was not the victim. She was the attacker. The harbinger of overdoses and ruining people's lives all for the sake of financial profiteering.

Everybody knew the code of no lagging, even though, ironically, it was Bea and Kaz's lagging that lead to her beating. Bea knew she would not have that on her conscience, not after she saw countless women being wheeled out on gurneys with a sheet of tarpaulin over them. A sense of protection for Allie was enough motivation for Bea and for Kaz. The two top dogs in the prison could now only hope that this would finally bring an end to drugs in Wentworth, and finally bring a sense of peace and rest for all the inmates that resided there.


	20. Chapter XX - Extinguish The Flame

**Chapter XX: Extinguish the Flame**

"Medical assistance required in the kitchen, this is a code black. Medical assistance required in the kitchen."

Two hours earlier...

"How is the prisoner?" Vera asked as she stared at an incapacitated Tina Mercado who had been found by a guard who was patrolling around the complex. It was obvious that this was a deliberate attack, one Vera knew would happen, but she was simply thankful that it wasn't that bad that her body was being carted out of Wentworth in a body bag. However, Vera warned herself, there was still time for that, and even though she did not like Mercado due to her constant drug peddling, her responsibility was for all of the women.

"She's stable. It is worse than it looks, I've checked her over. She has two fractured ribs that should heal with 4-5 weeks, but she needs to rest. She also has a broken nose caused by a blow to the face which is also evident by swelling to her eye. It was a deliberate attack, and we should keep her under observation for at least three weeks. It's obvious that she is under immediate danger" Radcliffe said as she took a sip of her coffee. "She also has a split lip, but I've managed to stitch it up. They'll go within a week or so" she said as she went to go and take a seat at her desk.

"I'm considering placing her into protection, but I can't do it without her approval. Is she awake?" Bennett asked, trying to put pressure on the nurse. She needed to have this conversation with Mercado, before she ended up with a dead body on her hands. "She's lucid, yes. But she needs rest" Radcliffe warned as she exited medical abruptly. Vera paced over slowly to find Tina in a bad state. It was obvious from the guard's report and from her own visuals that Tina had been attacked by multiple people. But no one would lag and tell her.

"Mercado" Vera whispered, the woman turning her head over to the governor. She scoffed, her ego not even damaged before she turned her head the other way. "This will never end if you let yourself be imminent to this danger" Vera said with absolutely no conviction. She knew that Mercado was a lost cause and was not going to listen to her. "I can put you into protection and you can be safe for the rest of your sentence" she uttered, Mercado finally turning her head so that she could stare smugly at the governor. "Listen. I do not help screws, neither do I talk to them" she spat in a snarkier tone. Vera crossed her arms, no longer interested in having a conversation that she knew the response was going to be.

"Babe, did you hear about Tina?" Allie whispered to Bea as her head lay in her girlfriend's lap as they watched some television. Bea looked down at Allie before looking around and leaning down. "I saw it. The D Block girls were kicking the shit out of her" she said as Allie gasped and sat up straight. She positioned herself on the couch to look at Bea before Maxine came in. "Tina's in medical" the tall brunette said as she pointed behind her. "I know. I know" Bea uttered, Allie looking surprised. "Why were the D Block girls kicking off at her?" the young blonde said, still shocked by this admission. "They think that Tina's responsible for them getting extra charges" Bea said, Maxine nodding.

"Fuck" Allie said under her breath, though not feeling sympathy for her. "D'you reckon she'll even last long if that's the case?" she asked, Bea shaking her head. "It's only a matter of time. Bea and Kaz both knew this was going to happen. It's just who she'll blame for her bashing. She won't put it on those girls, she'll put it on the ex-leader of those girls" Maxine said, her street-wise manner coming out. "Sonia" they all said.

Sonia was busy chopping carrots when she was approached by a young girl flanked by four of her allies. The young girl called Lucy cleared her throat to announce her arrival. Sonia spun around, her paranoia within her expecting an attack, turned round to see the young girls in an un-aggressive grouping. "We want you to finish Tina" Lucy said, Sonia looking upon in shock. "Excuse me?" she asked, surprised. "We want you to finish Tina. We've got her in medical, she's not going anywhere. It's time to get your own back" Lucy said, agitated at not having a confirmation yet.

"No...I'm not taking a life" Sonia said defensively. Lucy shook her head and smiled sarcastically. "Where the fuck was she when you were getting beaten to shit by Bea Smith and Kaz Proctor?" Lucy spat, aggravated. "That's in the past for a reason" Sonia said coolly, "I'm not interested in the game of power anymore". "She sold you out y'know" one of the other girls said, making the lie up on the spot, "She fucking sold you out to Kaz and Bea so that they'd get top dog. And you played right into her hand" she affirmed. Sonia, surprisingly, believed this lie. "What?" Sonia asked, feeling anger inside her now rising.

Lucy just nodded, not wanting to add more heat to the fire and see Sonia spiral out of control. "I can't believe that Asian inferior bitch!" Sonia said as she stabbed the knife into the chopping board. "She's out for blood, Sonia. If it's not her, it'll be you dead. Mark my words. And apparently she's got a new business partner" she lied. Sonia threw off her gloves and went in search of Ms. Miles, for she would be needing her later if she was going to teach Mercado her final lesson.

"We'll see how it goes then yeah? We don't know if she'll actually go through with killing Mercado" Lucy whispered, loud enough for Bea to hear when she was walking past her in the hallway. Bea immediately stopped in her tracks. 'Shit' she thought as she headed straight over to H3 in an attempt to find Kaz Proctor.

Kaz had heard that Tina Mercado had ended up in medical, not to her surprise. She knew that it was simply only a matter of time before somebody took action against her for earning certain inmates extended sentences, yet somebody was not trying to find out the person who lagged on them. The older blonde could only presume that they believed it was Tina, and that that was the reason for her brutal beating that delivered her into a long-term stay in medical.

Kaz had just started reading a newspaper about a guy who had been arrested for beating his wife savagely in public when she saw Bea looking worried, pacing into her unit. "Sonia's going after Tina. She's going to kill her and we need to find out how" Bea said, panting for breath. "The meat cleaver that she has in her cell" Kaz guessed, Bea nodding. "Fuck" she said, still gasping for breath. "We need to find Ms. Miles"

Linda had had a good day so far. She'd managed to make a profit at the dogs by nearly gambling half of her salary this month. Now she was quids in. And to make things even better, Sonia Stevens had promised to put 2000 dollars in her bank, simply for letting her and Mercado have a late-night conversation in the kitchen. She was oblivious to their rivalry, thinking that they were still friends, she agreed. Yet she did not take into consideration that the reason Stevens had put her price up so high was to tempt her into letting her do it in the first place. It was not in Linda's agenda and manifesto to quiz her ulterior motive for this meeting for Mercado; it was simply a case of keeping your mouth shut and your hand out for the money. That was simply it, and so far, it had not got her in trouble, but in a great amount of profit.

She was doing her rounds around the prison, when the two infamous top dogs came up to her and confronted her. "Oi Smiles, I want to know something" Kaz said with a smile, her pride ego showing, Linda smirking at her at the peculiarity of the attitude of the two inmates. "And what might that be?" she replied defensively, wanting to know what the hell it was that they both wanted. "We want to know what time Stevens is going to meet Mercado" Bea said with a smile, not expecting a reply at all. Miles was the sort of person that would reflect everything that was asked of her until the intention was very clear to her.

"And what would I know about that? This is not girl guides, I don't know who does anything with what" Linda replied, shaking her head. "We know that you're the dirtiest screw around so due to our mutual agreement, we thought maybe...you'd tell us" Bea whispered, Linda looking left to right in the corridor, making sure that there were no inmates or fellow screws so that they could eavesdrop on the conversation.

"3AM" Linda said, shrugging her shoulders. "Now I suggest you move on before people start to pick up on something" she ordered, but with no conviction. Bea started to walk away when Kaz grabbed her shoulder. "We want to know where" Kaz said, Linda laughing at her. "You think everything comes for nothing? I want an offer" Smiles whispered, Bea looking to Kaz and exchanging a look. "Fifty" Kaz said, Linda nodding her head. "The kitchen" she replied, Bea looking at Smiles. "You'll know when to come and collect us then. Straight after you've gone to take them to the kitchen" the redhead said, Linda nodding. The two of them made themselves scarce, not wanting to draw suspicion.

Sonia reached underneath her bed to find her usual hiding spot for her meat cleaver, which she'd managed to get a hold of during the prison riot ages ago. She found it to be taped with gum, something which hinted at the fact that somebody had been around, snooping in her cell. "Tina I bet" Sonia thought out loud as she lifted the panel to find her beloved chosen weapon, right in front of her. She picked up the blade by the handle, and admired at it.

The silverness of the blade, the texture of the handle, and its overall sharpness. Sonia pondered on how it resembled her so much: a hardened exterior, looks that could kill, and admired by all. Sonia chuckled to herself as she realised how familiar she was with holding a weapon like this. During her contemplation, she failed to see Bea looking into her cell, noticing that she had the weapon out. "Fuck" Bea said under her breath as she hurriedly paced back to the safe comforts of H1.

A few hours later...

"Mercado. With me" Miles said as she folded her arms and led on the side of the door frame to medical. The Asian girl looked very disturbed at having being woken up in the middle of the night, but knew that she was weak and feeble, and therefore knew that it was better to not cross the woman. After all, she had done her a few favours. The girl woke up and limped over to the guard who conveniently walked in front of her as if leading a dog.

Tina decided to go ahead and just follow Miles, it was better to do so. She also knew that she would not put her in any danger knowingly, with the knowledge that this could cost her job. As she continued the struggle behind the guard, she noticed that she was being led to the kitchen. Why the hell was Miles taking her there? She decided to not act verbally on her concerns, and to just follow her.

Ten minutes later...

"Allie, I have to go" Bea said as she kissed her lover. "I'm coming with you" Allie said, grabbing her hand. Bea knew that there was no point in arguing with her girlfriend when Kaz would just defend her honour. "Fine. Come on then" Bea said, Allie smiling as they left the cell and waited for Miles to come and take them to the kitchen. Bea didn't know what they were getting themselves into, but she just hoped that it wouldn't get her girlfriend in danger. After a few minutes, Linda came round the corner with Kaz and unlocked the gate quietly. "Let's go" she said as the alarm sounded deafeningly around the prison infrastructure.

"Medical assistance required in the kitchen, this is a code black. Medical assistance required in the kitchen."

A few minutes earlier...

"Here you are" Miles said as she left Mercado in front of Stevens. She decided to make herself scarce for the meeting, tending not to get involved with the inmates meetings. "So, you send the dogs after the meat, eh?" Mercado laughed as she stood in front of Tina. Sonia just smiled to herself. "You sold me out you backstabbing bitch. And I don't know what the fuck is in your code, but it certainly isn't loyalty, is it?" Sonia asked provocatively, Tina confused at this statement. "I think you're going crazy, old lady. I simply do business contracts" Tina said as she leaned on the counter.

"You're lucky your still alive. The Jackal wanted me to finish you. You didn't adhere to your contract when you should have!" Tina spat, now full with anger. "How dare you! You sold me out to Kaz Proctor and Bea Smith. You are the one who didn't adhere to their contract!" Sonia said, now red in the face with anger. "Shut up old woman. You are the reason why I got beaten up. You sent the girls to finish me, but it did not work. You will now pay, and I will now finish you" Tina said with conviction, pulling the small blade out of her sock. Sonia laughed loudly, Tina surprised that she showed absolutely no intimidation. Sonia simply pulled out a meat cleaver and swung it in the air to demonstrate its full force, leaving a very bewildered Tina.

Tina launched at Sonia first, Tina twisting Sonia's hand so that she dropped the blade. Sonia managed to get the upper hand by kicking Tina on the kneecap, and then stamping on her hand so that she also dropped her shiv. Sonia managed to pin Tina down by the shoulders with her kneecaps before landing devastating left and right hooks on Tina's face. Tina managed to lift her knee up so that it connected with Sonia's crotch, making her crumple in pain. Tina quickly stumbled over to the panic button, just managing to press it in time before Sonia came up behind her and put her in a headlock, before Tina wiggled her way out and kicked Sonia in the stomach, pushing her backwards as she picked up her blade.

"Fuck!" Linda shouted as the four of them bolted their way down to the kitchen. As they made their way down, the two of them could be heard to be fighting from down the corridor. As Linda opened the door, the two of them had obviously been in a fist fight, but the vision of their weapons were both real. "What the fuck!" Miles shouted, Allie pushing her out of the door. "Leave it!" the young blonde shouted as Bea and Kaz watched on nervously.

"Oh look, we have a fucking audience? Arrange this, did you Tina?" Sonia screamed, Tina shaking her head at the audacity. "You can get some as well!" Tina lunged at Bea. Bea automatically defended herself by sidestepping and launching an uppercut on Tina's chin. This sent the girl backwards before she saw Kaz being man-handled by Sonia. Allie was trying to get involved but was screaming so loud so that it was deafening to all.

Bea managed to suffocate Sonia, however, she nearly managed to clip Bea on the knee with the cleaver. Bea released her grip before pushing Allie and Kaz behind her in a protective huddle. Sonia swung at Bea again who managed to defend herself by ducking and rugby-tackling Sonia, Kaz going over to make sure that Tina was surely incapacitated. Tina had managed to swing at Kaz and she was knocked to the ground, so as Allie came to her defence, she managed to jab Tina in the ribs multiple times, then grabbing her hair and throwing her across the kitchen.

Sonia and Bea were wresting on the floor violently, before Sonia managed to overpower Bea by choking her whilst she was held on top of her. Kaz managed to crawl on all fours before grabbing Sonia by the hair and knocking her head on the floor multiple times before looking over at Allie who, by some luck, had managed to not even been hurt yet. Allie walked over to Bea who was gripping at her neck, struggling to breathe. Tina had picked herself up before grabbing Allie's head and smashing it against the kitchen counter.

As if full by energy, Bea launched herself at Tina, smashing her left, right and centre, and simply would not stop. Not until Sonia had got herself up yet again and had grabbed her by the hair. Luckily, she had managed to forget the blade that was on the floor which she left by Kaz knocking her head to the floor. She took Bea down to the floor and then went to go and grab her knife. Just as she was about to slice Bea's neck, Allie walked in front of the blade to try and save her, but in a counter-action, Bea rugby-tackled Allie to the floor, as she heard a deafening scream rattle the room, as she saw Tina try to grab Bea, but instead, got caught up in the crossfire.

Kaz was screaming her lungs out, having never have ever, seen something so violent in her life. Luckily for them, neither Bea or Allie saw the blade connecting to her neck, but Bea could've sworn that she had memories of both Jacs and Brayden as she saw Tina's lifeless body slump in a pool of blood on the floor.


	21. Chapter XXI - Recovery

**Chapter XXI: Recovery**

The mood is gloomy, yet dim over Wentworth. A mixture of emotions dawn upon all the inmates, confusion, despair and relief wash over all, inmates and correctional officers. Tina Mercado was slain mercilessly, by Sonia Stevens, who was already under investigation for murdering her best friend. Now, the police have everything they need, evidence wise, to convict her.

Sonia Stevens was sent to Uxbridge Psychiatric Facility, the same facility that held Joan "The Freak" Ferguson. It houses the criminally insane and psychotic, and those who are at the very top of the hierarchy of those who are deemed a threat to society. The judge ordered that she spent her life sentence there, and that the previous charges for murder be dropped due to lack of evidence. However, she will spent the rest of her life in a padded cell, trying to rehabiliatate for a world that she will never get to see as a free woman again.

As for Tina Mercado, the body was disposed of a day later after the police had finished evaluating the scene and interrogating the key witnesses. Those witnesses were Karen Proctor, Allie Novak and Beatrice Smith. They, of course, all said the same thing. Tina Mercado and Sonia Stevens were in the kitchen, after the count, commencing a fight. All of them got involved in an attempt to try and stop and intervene in the fight, Sonia trying to kill Bea, and instead, Tina getting caught in the crossfire and sacrificing herself. This clarification of witness accounts was imperative to proving that Sonia Stevens' was detrimental that night towards all, and was the exigent evidence that was needed to seal her sentence to spend the rest of her life behind bars.

A month later...

Everyone had since forgotten about the horrors of Sonia murdering Tina in the kitchen. Prison was now stable for the first time ever, and the number of junkies had hit an all time low. Since Mercado was not around to feed their poisonous habit, they had no choice but to go cold turkey, with the perfect timing of Ms. Bennett's drug rehabilitation classes. Vera had since thanked Proctor and Smith for their efforts in trying to get rid of the drug supply, but it seemed that now with Tina gone, the problem had just dissolved by itself.

Overall, it didn't affect the inmates long term, apart from the junkies. Tina's death, miraculously, was good for the rest of the inmates.

When Bea tackled Allie to the floor, she saved her girlfriend from having any sort of PTSD from having seen someone be ravagely murdered in front of her, just as Bea had done with Jacs and Brayden. However, the governor had ordered them to be subject to weekly counselling sessions with Bridget Westfall, just so that she could be seen to be doing something by the board to try and make sure of their welfare.

Kaz was deeply affected by it. She was seeming to be having nightmares, having only injured people in the Red Right Hand, never having the guts to take someone's life. Bridget was considering asking Vera about getting a PTSD counsellor who specialised in the symptoms of nightmares, cold sweats and paranoia that Kaz was experiencing, however, after a few weeks, Kaz seemed to be getting better.

Allie didn't need any counselling, however, she did find it helpful to talk to Bridget about her past and other things, so not all time was wasted. Bea did find the counselling extremely helpful, as she made use of her time also speaking to Bridget about Jacs and Brayden and her remorse. Bridget was taken aback by some of Bea's confessions, yet not surprised, after all, Bea did have another 36 years left of her life sentence to serve, so that was a lot of time for contemplation.

As for Vera Bennett, she was put on a final warning. A meeting by the board where she was shouted at profusely by members of the correctional service higher up resulted in her being issued a warning which stated that if she slipped up the tiniest bit, she would be exiled from her position. Vera took this with a pinch of salt, knowing that in a way, Mercado's death had got rid of the problem for her, and therefore she would have no reason to worry in the future.

Maxine felt lighter than she had ever done before in the last six months, even after losing her breasts during traumatic surgery to remove the parts of her body that she fought all of her life to have. The tall brunette could not stop the smile emanating from her face, to which the guard who let her out of the prison van took note of. He just frowned, and took her into the prison. The regular scheme began, strip search before being sent back to the unit.

Boomer was probably the first one to notice a change in Maxine since she came back. "What's got you smilin'?" Boomer asked curiously as Bea and Allie came around the corner, hand in hand, followed by Liz and Doreen, the four of them engrossed heavily in conversation. "I'm in remission!" Maxine vocalised, Boomer jumping straight up to her feet squealing. "You're in remission?" Bea asked, Maxine confirming. A stray tear fell down the brunette's cheek as all of them came to give her a hug and to congratulate her. "No way. I can't believe it!" shrieked Boomer, everyone smiling as they saw the two embracing in a hug.

"Now you've just gotta focus on getting out of here" Boomer recited, holding Maxine's hand with both of hers. Maxine smiled at the thought of being a free woman, being the woman she was always meant to be. "How long have you got left, Booms?" Doreen asked, everyone else aware that she was moving to Perth soon to be closer to her son and partner, Nash.

"Five years" Boomer shrugged, sitting down on the couch. "Then you can get parole in three years" Doreen smiled, Boomer clapping her hands like a child. "Oh yeah, never thought of that" she giggled as Maxine rubbed her back on the couch. "Maybe you should speak to your lawyer, love. See what they can do for you" Liz offered, Maxine nodding her head. "I'll ask Vinegar Tits tomorrow for you, if you'd like" Boomer said, Maxine shaking her head at her friend's kindness. "It's fine Booms, I can do it myself" the brunette spoke. "But, you're still healing so you need to be careful, yeah?" Boomer hinted. Maxine chuckled to herself at her Boomer's protectiveness, but was grateful.

"Why don't we get some Monte Carlo's, Boomer?" Liz asked, Boomer shooting straight up from the couch like a horse and off into her cell to fetch them as quick as she could, not wanting to leave Maxine's side for a second after finding out this extraordinary news. "She's sweet" Allie mused as she squeezed Bea's shoulders before manoeuvring round to plump herself on Bea's lap, everyone else missing the quiet sigh that uttered from Bea's lips as she did so.

Boomer came back shortly after, offering everyone a biscuit. "So what did the doc say?" Boomer chirped as she took her seat next to Maxine. "Well, I went in and he told me that I had responded very well to the surgery and to the aftercare that they'd given me. He even said that some patients don't recover until two years after, and that I was the fastest person he had ever seen to go into remission" Maxine smiled with a buzz, all of the H1 girls over the moon for her. "Well it's great to finally have some good news after the incident last month" Liz finally said, looking down at the floor.

"So, have you been told anything about the investigation, Liz? Won't you get rewarded for your co-operation or something?" Bea enquired, all of the girls now knowing of her plot to try and find out evidence that Sonia had killed her best friend. "I have a meeting with Detective Caplin soon. But, you heard the rumours right?" Liz asked, all of the women shaking their heads.

"She has apparently been acquitted of the previous murder accusations and instead, she's only been convicted for Tina's murder. If that's the case, I doubt that I'll get any reward or recognition for it" Liz stated, all of the women sighing in amazement. "They used me" the older blonde shrugged, Bea shaking her head. "I'm sorry Liz. You can't trust the police these days. I mean, look how long it took for the Freak to get locked up. And we all knew what kind of a monster she was" the redhead said, all of them agreeing. "Is" Allie corrected her with a frown as she encircled her arms protectively over Bea more.

The conversation drifted much lighter after that, discussions of Doreen's parole and Maxine's remission making for a steady conversation. Evening count came shortly after their conversation which seemed to have gone on for a few hours, where Allie stood at her cell that she barely ever used. Bea knew that look that the blonde was giving her: it was a coy look, one that she was greeted with every single evening. There was no point in trying to hide anything from anyone anymore, Bea and Allie were in a loving and healthy relationship, and that was that.

As the blonde stood inside the redhead's cell dressed for bed, led against the now closed door, she saw Bea's face light up at the sight of her. Without a doubt, they were both hopelessly in love with each other, no matter what anybody else thought. Allie was dressed in a tank top and shorts while Bea never bothered to get changed, still donning her teal shirt and tracksuit. She knew that there was no point in even getting changed, Allie was going to take her clothes off anyway.

Ever since the two of them consummated their relationship, Bea found that her confidence with sex increased everytime. She knew for a fact that it was due to experience with Allie, and how kind and patient Allie had been during the course of their relationship. There are many things that make Bea think that maybe Wentworth isn't so bad after all. Allie is one of them.

Bea stood up from the bed and motioned her index finger, silently telling Allie to come forward. Allie pressed herself off the back of the door with her hands before coming to stand before Bea. A moment of silent admiration and glances exchanged between the two, before Bea winded her fingers in the back of Allie's hair, before pulling her in for a soft kiss.

It started off soft and light, tongues barely brushing against one another, the minimum friction of their lips sparked off electricity in both of their bodies. The feelings that Bea felt, as if her mind was levitating above her body, was also felt by the blonde. That's what made their relationship so loving, so consuming, and so everything. As Allie's hands rested on Bea's hips, they continued to cavort with each other with their mouths passionately.

After a short while, Bea pushed Allie back on to the bed, her eyes midnight black with nothing but absolute desire. As if a bulb had been flicked on inside of her, Bea suddenly felt hungry for her lover. Secretly, she didn't know how much Allie was loving it. Allie loved the Bea that was commanding, domineering, and just took whatever she wanted when she wanted, but this was the first time that Bea had ever done such a thing when they were having sex, not like Allie was about to complain.

However, Allie had other plans for her lover tonight. As Bea's body collapsed on top of hers, she managed to flip them over in a second, Bea's hands still wound up in Allie's blonde locks, and Allie caressing the base of Bea's throat, whilst passionately ravishing her mouth like no one has ever done before. Allie took this moment to strip Bea of her armour that she wore on a daily basis, her top dog's armour, so that she would prevail over all the other inmates, to make sure that order was within the prison.

As Allie's fingers entwined around her top, she flew it behind her, her eyes dropping down to Bea's bra-clad breasts, Allie licking her lips as she did so. "You are so, so beautiful" Allie husked into the shell of Bea's ear, sending jolts of electricity down her spine. As Allie connected her lips with Bea's once more, she reached round to undo Bea's bra, watching as her breasts fell out, biting her lip as she took in the extraordinary sight that is Bea Smith.

As she kissed her way down the redhead's neck, her lips connected with her collarbone, eventually down to the swell of her chest before biting down gently. Bea hissed at the pain, which soon then turned to a moan as her tongue connected with Bea's skin. As Allie's hooded blue eyes connected with Bea's brown orbs, she took her left breast into her mouth, swirling her tongue around the bud which had now hardened in her mouth.

Bea wasn't actually realising how loud she was being, but to be honest, she didn't care either. She had every right to enjoy herself, and damn she was enjoying herself as Allie changed breasts, eventually clamping her mouth down lightly on her right breast, all the while still maintaining eye contact with the redhead. Bea knew for a fact that she was extremely aroused by the sight of Allie devouring her breasts, not that she cared.

Allie lifted her head up to connect her lips with Bea's that she loved so much, Bea now dominating the kiss. Bea then took the opportunity to strip Allie of her tank top, smiling at the fact that she had no bra on. As Allie lay elevated over Bea, the redhead decided to return the favour, taking one nipple in her mouth while teasing the other. Allie let out a breathy moan as she cradled Bea's head as the older woman's tongue danced over her breasts.

The blonde ducked her head down to kiss Bea once more before roaming her abdomen before playing with the elastic of Bea's pants. Getting the visual confirmation she needed from Bea, she removed both her pants and underwear which were soaking wet, before climbing back on top of her. As their tongues danced with one another, Allie's thigh made contact with Bea's core. A moan escaped Bea's mouth as she grinded her hips down on Allie's thigh, desperate for some sort of friction, and desperate for release.

The young blonde tugged on the redhead's lip before dragging her tongue down Bea's body, never stopping eye contact along the way. "Wait" Bea said nervously, tapping Allie's shoulders, aware of Allie's aim. Allie lifted her head, waiting for a response. "No one's ever...I mean, I hav-" she stuttered before being silenced by Allie's lips brushing against her own. "Hey, we don't have to do anything you don't want to, okay?" Allie reassured her as she took her hand in her own. Bea took a moment's contemplation before waiting for Allie's response.

Suddenly, Allie's mind dawned back to the time into the equipment room where Bea's body stiffened under hers when she was intending to do the same then. Instead, she didn't question nor did she expect Bea to answer, and instead, crawled her way back up her girlfriend's body, the experience completely forgotten.

"If you want to give it a go you are more than welcome to, beautiful. How about we try it, and if you don't like it, I'll stop straight away?" Allie offered, Bea nodding but nervousness still displayed on her face. "I promise you babe, I will only ever do something that you will enjoy and are okay with" Allie stated, Bea smiling at the compassion from her. Allie placed a kiss on Bea's knuckles before dragging her tongue down the navel of Bea's breasts, down to her abdomen, all the way down to her pubic bone.

Allie looked up at Bea before placing kisses on the inside of her thighs, biting gently before soothing the bite with her tongue. She slowly made her way towards Bea's outer lips, where Allie admired her beautiful body. The redhead was so wet and swollen, and the visual of it made Allie's mouth water, and her throb violently between her own legs. Kissing Bea's knuckles once more whilst keeping hold of her hand, Allie licked one long strip from Bea's entrance all the way up to her clit, carefully avoiding the enlarged bulb.

Bea could've sworn that Allie could've not made her feel better in that moment. "Oh my God" she moaned loudly, Allie lifting her head up and smiling, getting the audio confirmation she needed to continue her movements. Moving her tongue lazily over Bea's centre, drawing different kinds of shapes and engorging herself in the unique taste that is Bea, she could've sworn that she was enjoying it just as much as Bea was.

Bea felt like she was in heaven, and could feel her orgasm building rapidly. The way Allie's tongue flicked over her centre so perfectly made her eliciting sounds from her mouth that she wasn't aware of, which she didn't even know was possible. Bea could feel her walls clenching and tightening at rapid speed as Allie licked at Bea's outer lips tentatively, before circling her tongue firmly around Bea's clit.

This rewarded the blonde with a loud moan before she looked at Bea once more before sucking her clit into her mouth. Humming in delight at the taste of Bea's clit only made the redhead aroused more as she moved lower to place her tongue lower. As her tongue dipped into Bea's entrance, the redhead could not believe how good she was feeling and how pleasurable it was for her. As she continued place her tongue inside Bea, Bea's grip on Allie's hair got tighter, and her fingers were digging into her scalp, Allie knowing that she was now close.

The younger woman moved her mouth up before closing it on Bea's clit, making one final move to place her tongue and swirl it around the redhead's bulb. A silent but guttural moan fell from the lips of Bea Smith as she came undone underneath Allie's mouth. The blonde loved seeing this side to Bea, seeing her surrender herself to her completely. As she felt the tremors and contractions against her tongue, she licked Bea clean before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, rising herself to lie next to the redhead.

Bea could've sworn that she was seeing stars, her energy had completely gone. "That was amazing" Bea mumbled breathlessly as she opened her hazy eyes to look at the gorgeous blonde that was across from her. "So you enjoyed it?" Allie asked curiously, wanting the verbal confirmation. "The best I've ever had" Bea smiled as Allie connected her lips with the redhead's, allowing her to taste herself from Allie's mouth: yet another new experience for her. "I love you" Allie said, biting down on her lip. "I am so in love with you too, Allie Novak. And I'll never get tired of saying it" Bea chuckled as her girlfriend kissed her once more, before they both fell asleep in each others arms.


	22. Chapter XXII - Misconduct

**Chapter XXII: Misconduct**

"Are you ready for this, Franky?" Bridget asked as they stood outside of the office for the Department for Justice and Regulation in Victoria. The tattooed brunette simply just placed her hands on her girlfriend's neck and brought her in for a kiss before saying "Yes, I'm sure. It'll be the biggest mark of my career if I can do it. And plus, I'm helping Red out in the process" Franky replied, smiling at Bridget. "Speaking of which, when are you actually going to tell her that you are doing this?" Bridget asked nervously. "Don't worry Gidge, I'll let her know when it's all set in stone. I just need to get the initial clearance to do the investigation first" Franky mused with a smile, Bridget clearly not convinced.

"Look, they have given me the time of day for this meeting, so who is to say there is no hope for a Bea Smith outside of Wentworth one day. And when the time comes, I'll need you" Franky said as she took Bridget's face in her hands and gave her a quick kiss. "Now go, I can handle this like the big girl I am" the brunette said as her girlfriend shook her head as she walked off to her car.

Franky took a deep breath before taking in the sight before her. The large white office building that was the place which regulated everything in terms of the law and sentences given to offenders. Prior to coming, Franky's boss at the Legal Office, Jane, had set up this meeting with the department in order to propose an investigation into the motive and crimes of Beatrice Smith.

Jane and Franky had taken some time to try and get a motive for doing so. They decided that the best case to put forward to the department was that this allowed the chance to see if there were any complications in the sentencing of all of her cases, and to try and see if the police or correctional services were at fault for being a factor which led to her crimes that landed her a life without parole imprisonment sentence. They also agreed to pull the "rehabilitation" card, agreeing that this would persuade the big wigs at the board to at least give them a chance in taking on possibly the biggest case in Australian history: to free a murderer.

As Franky walked up the steps in her black blazer and suit pants with a folder under one arm and a bottle of water in her other hand, she opened the glass doors that were the entrance to the headquarters. As she looked around, she saw a meek room, barely furnished, with one woman ravishingly typing at a keyboard, obviously busy. Franky walked over and cleared her throat to announce her presence when the woman looked at her with a scolding frown. "Francesca Doyle, here for a meeting with the department at eleven" she said, the woman who was wearing a grey suit, acknowledging her before checking her keyboard. "Take a seat" the woman said in an urgent tone, obviously engrossed in something important.

As Franky walked over to the collection of chairs that were placed against the wall, she took a seat before taking a swig of her drink and breathing deeply. She was nervous, well, nervous was an understatement. Franky had always been a person that liked to raise the bar and go beyond expectations and to succeed well, however, it had sometimes ended up in some setbacks. However, sometimes, it ended up with some large successes that impacted her life. But at this moment in time, all she could see was the negatives. What were the likelihoods that the board would even let a paralegal investigate misconduct of the police and correctional services, all for the sake of a woman who has murdered two people? Very, very slim, Franky thought.

As she pondered on these thoughts, she seemed to ignore the fact that Jane had just entered the room, as her face lit up when she saw Franky. As the tattooed brunette stood up, Jane checked her watch, seeing that it was 10:58. "You ready to go and face them?" Jane asked curiously, Franky nodding. "I'm nervous but, I'm nervous as I'll ever be" Franky spoke as she gestured for Jane to lead the way. They walked down a narrow corridor before turning right and then right again, before being approached by a door labelled "Meeting Room 4". As the two of them knocked on the door, two people, an old man and a young looking woman were inside the room, sat together.

The room was adorned by a small meeting table. Jane and Franky were meeting with the Director of the Parole Board for Victoria, the Vice Director and the Chairman of the Department. Franky was, by no meaningful words other than shitting herself. She knew how much this meant to her career and also to Red and her girl. She knew that she had to get their approval and had convinced herself that she was not leaving without it.

As the two of them entered the room, they were joined by the Director and the Chairman. After all shaking hands, all of them went down to take a seat on the small mahogany table. As they sat down, Franky opened her files and her opening statement to the board. The Director was a small bobbly headed man by the name of Nicholas Baird wearing a black suit and black tie. His right hand man was the Vice Director, who was wearing a navy blue suit and beige tie, who was called Henry Hill. The Chairman of the Department was a tall man with grey hair and glasses, wearing a grey suit and a red tie. As Franky made all these visual observations, she was interrupted by the Chairman beginning the meeting.

"So, my assistant, Ms. Morello informed me of this meeting. You are representing the Legal Office here in Melbourne, correct?" the chairman enquired, Jane verbally confirming for him. "Yes, we are. We are commencing this meeting in hope of approval for re-opening Beatrice Smith's case" Jane said, locking her hands over the table. The three men looked taken aback by the broad statement, however, the

Chairman seemed to admire the confidence of Franky. "I see. And here you are to present your case and persuade us?" the chairman smiled as he took a sip of his glass of water. Franky cleared her throat before speaking,

"We are here representing the Legal Office here in Melbourne in Victoria. The Legal Office's opinion is to re-open the case is that of offender Beatrice Smith that is currently housed in Wentworth Correctional Centre, serving a life sentence for the murder of Brayden Holt, and the manslaughter of Jacqueline Holt. It is the opinion of the Legal Office that we believe that there may have been a motive for Smith to have committed these crimes, and that it is in the best interests of the Department of Justice and Regulation to investigate any faults that may of been of the Police Service or the Correctional Services. We believe that it is beneficial in the sense that it increases the professionalism within both departments and is within the jurisdiction of the department. It also allows for rehabilitation of remorseful life sentence offenders, which is complimentary to lowering prison population and increasing rehabilitation for offenders ready to enter society once more" Franky stated, taking a deep breath and a sip of water.

"You make a valid point" the Director mused as he also took a sip of his water. Jane and Franky both looked over to the Vice Director who was clearly still not sold. "You are interested in opening the case of a murderer? A jury has already seen fit that she spent the rest of her life behind bars. I do not think it is appropriate to re-open the case and cause a load of legal mess. Both departments are already stressed enough as it is" he argued, folding his arms. Franky looked over to Jane, knowing that she was going to absolutely nip this in the bud.

"We are not overlooking anyone's case, regardless of what they have done. If they show remorse, they need to repent for their crimes with a reconsidered sentence, before being evaluated by the parole board" Jane spoke. The Vice Director seemed to have lost a case for his argument as the Chairman soon nodded his head in agreement. "I see your understanding and I agree with it. I believe that with a case like this, offenders should not be locked away and thrown away with the key. However, they do need to repent for their crimes, and they must be suitable to go back into society" the Chairman smiled. Franky was very impressed and shell shocked at the reaction.

"The department must come to a decision" the Chairman spoke, before looking over to the Vice Director. "It is in my professional opinion that I am not approving of the Legal Office's case" he said before scoffing at Jane and Franky. The Director then said after: "I am approving of the Legal Office to re-open Beatrice Smith's case" before smiling at the two of them. "And I am also approving" the Chairman recited. "The vote is 2-1, and therefore the case will go ahead. The Department of Justice and Regulation in Victoria allows the Legal Office to be granted all of the needed documents for their

investigation, and this will be confirmed in a document within the next fortnight. Meeting adjourned" he announced, everybody standing up from the table.

The Vice Director and the PA made a swift exit out of the room whereas the Director and Chairman stayed behind to offer their advice on the case. "Good luck on your case, and maybe, if you find something, we can maybe think about making history" the Director said before shaking their hands. "Thank you so much for giving us this opportunity" Franky mused, the Director nodding before he left. The two women also shook the Chairman's hand before he also left. "You shouldn't have been so worried" Jane said as she ruffled Franky's hair.

"Can't blame a girl for being anxious about taking on one of the biggest cases in judicial history in your country, eh" Franky said as she shook her head, the two girls leaving the office quickly to make a start on their case. As they exited the office, Jane told Franky that her boss had allowed Franky and her to share an office so that they could work on this case separately. The tattooed brunette was secretly thankful for having such an opportunity to do what she felt was right for Bea. As the two left, Jane said goodbye to her and that she would see her in the morning, and Franky, well, she couldn't keep the smile off her face.

Franky got her phone out to get ready to text Gidge, knowing that she was going to need Bea's prisoner file and that she would need Vinegar Tits to go and prepare it.

Franky [12:41]: Hey spunky, meeting went really well. They said yes! Happy girl here.

Bridget [12:43]: Oh I'm so glad baby. You better be a happy girl later!

Franky [12:44]: You bet I'll be. I need you to get Vera to get Bea's prisoner file. I'm gonna need it once we get written confirmation from the department.

Bridget [12:45] No worries babe, I'll get it done. By the way, how d'you fancy dinner tonight?

Franky smiled quickly typed out a "yes" to her girlfriend before getting in the car, ready to sort out a make-shift office at home to try and enhance the amount of work she could do on Red's case. Bea had risked her life for Franky when she went back into Wentworth to go and collect her. She was not going to stop until Bea was a free woman.

Two weeks after...

"How long does she fucking take?" Franky whined as she sat across from her girlfriend in Vera's office. "She's a busy woman, she's got a prison to take care of, remember" Bridget replied before taking a sip of her coffee. Franky got her folder out and looked through it. She looked through a post it note which entailed everything that she needed to do on her visit to the prison. Jane had done this list for her the morning before, knowing that her career mounted on this as much as Franky's.

Franky,

You need to get the full prisoner file from the Governor. You also need to get her to sign approval for us to come on the site and to interview inmates that may help us in the testimony, as well as a full background medical history. She's entitled to give it to us, considering we've now got the backing of the department. Good luck!

\- Jane.

A few moments later, Vera came in looking red faced, apologising for her being late. "Hope you're not like this with the chairman" Franky laughed as Vera plumped herself into her chair, and shoved a load of files in front of Franky's face. "You would've thought that the employees that are below you would be able to do a simple task instead of notifying me that they weren't coming in five minutes ago!" Vera spat angrily at the fact that she had been stitched up by a fellow colleague who had failed to mention that she was not coming into work.

"You got everything?" Franky asked, Vera nodding as the tattooed brunette began to flick through the files quickly. "Everything is there. You've got site access cards there, I've put in two as well as special visitors passes. You'll have to let me know you're coming in advance though. Smith's entire prisoner file and medical history is in there, as well as governoral notes that date back to when Joan Ferguson was governor here. These are just photocopies, but even so, it is classified information so I need it back once you are done, understood?" Vera ordered, Franky nodded. "Yes, ma'am" Franky did with a mock salute as she collected the files and left. Bridget just laughed before she got a scolding look off Vera, and decided to make herself scarce.

Franky drove back to work straight after the meeting with Vera, desperate to get along with the case straight away. She texted Jane before she got in the car to let her know that she was on her way. After a short five minute journey due to the lack of traffic, she parked up behind the Legal Office before walking around, getting greeted by her fellow colleagues. As she made her way to the back of the building, she was greeted by Jane who had managed to get a large desk and two filing cabinets, as well as a water and coffee machine. It was pretty plush, but it was needed, considering the severity and importance of the case.

"So, she gave you everything?" Jane said, eyeing the large pile of folders that she was holding. Franky nodded as she dumped the pile onto the desk. "We need to start sifting through them" Jane said, Franky agreeing. As the two sat down, Franky saw that she was approached by a copy of Bea Smith's prisoner file. It didn't say anything important, apart from her occupation as a hairdresser. "The obvious thing to go for is the fact that Ferguson was governor whilst she had loads of things happening to her" Franky said, Jane looking at her. "There's a period on her medical history where she was attacked frequently" Jane said, Franky nodding.

"It correlates with the time that she was in charge. Nils Jasper isn't alive but his testimony was sealed by the police, stating that Ferguson ordered him to do the attacks. Even though he is dead, it could still help us in a court room" Franky said, clapping her hands together. "We can also see that she was attacked before the governorship of Ferguson, and of course, the attempted murder charge" Jane recited. "Let's go right back to the beginning".

"It says here that she was first admitted to medical from a vicious beating which was suspected to have been initiated by Jacs Holt, who she later killed. If they had bothered to investigate further, they would have found that Jacs was responsible and requested that she was placed into protection for the safety of the other inmates, possibly suggesting that Jacs may have not have been killed if the correctional service would have intervened and given her counselling also due to the beatings that she was subjected to by her husband" Franky recalled, Jane writing down notes. "That's a good point to make in a court room and it will please the department" Jane said with a smile before she went to go and grab the coffee.

Over the course of the afternoon, the two of them spent their time trying to recite all of the things that had happened to Bea whilst she had endured her 4 years out of the 36 years that she was sentenced to during her stay at Wentworth. They managed to conclude that she had been beaten up twice, she was stabbed in the yard, been given hallucinogenics and refused medical care after she was sent back to Wentworth after killing Brayden Holt.

Franky and Jane had decided to conclude the case at 8:00PM, finding the evidence they had found statutory enough to present. Hopefully, it would convince people in a court room and also the department so that they would be able to even take it in the first place. As she pondered and dawned more on it, the more she saw that Bea was more than eligible for parole after all the shit she had received amongst the years, she knew for a fact that she was not going to let her rot behind bars.


	23. Chapter XXIII - Disheartened

**Chapter XXIII: Disheartened**

"Detective Caplin wants to speak with you regarding the case of Sonia Stevens. Mr Jackson will take you there now" Vera announced as she took a deep breath and sunk back into her chair. Being governor was a hard job, but she was relieved at the sense of no drugs being trafficked through the prison anymore. This meant that the inmates could now prosper with the programs that Vera had brought in since the arrival of H Block back into the prison. Therefore, she'd look more good to the board, and then maybe they would consider to stop pressuring her and to get off her back.

The older blonde nodded, expecting the worst news to come. She knew for a fact that she was not going to get an ounce of credibility for her work in attempting to extract a confession from Sonia, and knew that the police were really using her all along. All they really needed was a large breakthrough which was large enough to seal a conviction and everybody else who helped with the case would be miraculously forgotten about.

As she entered Ms. Westfall's office where their meetings usually commenced, she saw the bald headed man wearing a regretful facial expression. It came to Liz then that she knew exactly how this meeting was going to pan out. "Take a seat, Liz" Caplin spoke, gesturing for her to take a seat in the armchair next to his. There was no coffee this time, which could only mean a brief visit.

"Now, as you know, Ms. Sonia Stevens murdered Tina Mercado a month ago, as it was proved in a judicial court of law" Caplin began, Liz scoffing and wanting to get straight to the point. "I know, you don't have to tell me. I'm not getting parole" Liz stated, sadly, Caplin slowly nodding to confirm her suspicions. "I fuckin' knew it!" Liz screamed, slamming her hand on the armchair. "For once! I try to fuckin' help and look where it got me! You used me you pig" Liz bellowed, Caplin shocked by Liz's outrage and anger, but completely understanding of it.

"Look Liz, I apologise. It was the court's decision to go ahead and drop the previous charges and close the investigation. All that matters to them is that they have dangerous and criminal individuals locked up behind bars until they are suitable and in a good mental state to be released back into the free world and function in society again" Caplin said, rubbing his brow.

"And all that matters to you is that you got that conviction. Everyone else was just forgotten about, so an old girl like me can just rot behind bars!" Liz shouted, one of the guards coming in from outside, asking what was the matter. "It's fine, she just needs to calm down" Caplin reassured the guard who made a swift exit after he saw Liz's reddened cheeks and her eyes of fury.

"I really am sorry, Liz. It's just the way that things go around here. But when you are eligible for parole, this will come up and it will help you. You offered to help Melbourne Police secure a conviction on a fellow inmates. That is not something that is overlooked" Caplin spoke calmly, trying to mediate the situation in any way possible. "No, I'm being overlooked now. We'll see when I get to apply for parole in the next seven fucking years!" Liz screamed, standing up before making a swift exit out of the room.

The same guard didn't ask any questions but just escorted her back quickly. Liz couldn't stop the tears from gliding like a waterfall down her face. She knew for a fact that the next nine years in Wentworth which she had been sentenced to for helping Bea commit her murder against Brayden was going to be long, and not enjoyable in the slightest. She knew that everybody, including her friends, would leave one by one before her. All she'd have is Allie and Bea, and even Allie would leave the year after her. Liz could not believe how fucked up her life had become since she got involved in the never ending circle that was prison.

Doreen didn't know what to say. To say she was taken aback was an understatement. As the words of "Your transfer will commence in two weeks" uttered from Vera Bennett's lips, her mouth dropped agape, not expecting that at all. She had only filed for transfer three months ago, and was told to expect to be transferred within the next 16-18 months. She was a mixture of emotions, confusion and relief being the two main factors, confusion at having to leave her friends and prison family behind, but relief at being given the opportunity to see her son and partner once more.

As she entered the unit which she had called home for the past couple of years, her problems were long forgotten when she saw Liz, head in her hands on the table, sobbing. The only times she ever saw Liz cry was when her daughter Sophie got imprisoned at Wentworth and was rejected by her, or when she was drunk. "Liz, what's wrong?" she asked curiously with a hint of sympathy.

"I'm not getting parole" Liz spoke, tears running down her face. Doreen just nodded, expecting as much. The police used you and only wanted to put people away. Secretly, they were not interested in the welfare of the person and whether they were suitable or not to go into prison, as much with Joan Ferguson where they had little regard for her psychopathic tendencies.

"Liz, all you've got is time in here. You are just going to have to make the most of it, regardless of how hard it gets. Boomer, Maxine, Allie and Bea will all be here for you when the time comes. They're here, for you. And so am I, until I go" Doreen smiled sadly, Liz making eye contact with her for the first time, picking up on the hint. "When are you leaving?" Liz enquired, Doreen looking to her feet with a regretful posture.

"Two to three months. The governor said that there is enough space in Perth for me to be placed there and there's a better chance that I will get paroled there due to Nash being in a stable job and house" Doreen stated, Liz smiling with secret sadness. She was happy for her friend but she would be very sad to see her go. The two had connected straight away since Doreen came to Wentworth, and the younger woman saw her as a mum, so it would be a sad parting for the both of them, but a necessary one.

Maxine and Boomer came round the corner of the unit sharing smiles when they saw the pair of women embracing in a hug. Boomer immediately saw the tear stained cheeks that Liz was wearing, and verbally voiced her concern. "That pig fucker, Caplin, said I'm not getting parole" Liz spoke, Maxine coming over to give her a hug. "That's shit, eh" Boomer said, folding her arms. Everyone expected as of much from the police.

A few hours later...

News of Liz not being granted her parole reached Allie and Bea in the late evening, after dinner. There was something on Bea's mind recently that she wanted to do, but she had no idea how to approach it. The redhead turned to Maxine for advice, who she found on the couch later that evening, spectating the news that was displayed on their communal television.

"Maxine" Bea whispered, not wanting anyone else to eavesdrop on the conversation as they played a game of cards at the table. "Where would I go in here to get a tattoo?" she asked, Maxine's face lighting up. "One of Kaz's girls" Maxine began. "Mel, I think her name is. She was a tattooist on the outside. She never got a tattoo herself though which bewilders me" she smiled, Bea nodding. "Why, what are you thinking of getting?" Maxine questioned, Bea shrugging her shoulders. "I've wanted to get another. I'm thinking of a seahorse, but I'm not sure where" Bea said shyly, Maxine nodding in understanding.

"Well, we will go and ask her tomorrow. See what designs she could come up with and her recommendations for having it done. I don't think she does it for cheap though because it is real professional work. It's as good as you are going to get on the inside" Maxine warned, Bea understanding. "Thanks" she said, Maxine turning her eyes back to the television screen.

The day after...

Allie found herself on serving duty at evening meal, much to her delight. It would give her every excuse in the world to be able to smirk herself blindly at the love of her life as she collected her food in the mess hall. Today, herself, Liz, and the rest of the girls who worked in the kitchen were ordered to prepare a meal of spaghetti bolognese for evening meal which they had managed to do with all the culinary ingredients that the prison budget had allowed them to.

As the H1 girls entered the double doors into the hall, Bea and Allie's eyes were drawn to each other like magnets, Allie obviously checking Bea out by looking her up and down conspicuously in the sight of all the other women. But Allie being Allie didn't care, Bea was her girl now, and she wanted everyone to know. The first person to get their food was Boomer as usual, always wanting to get her food first like an excited child waiting to open their present at Christmas.

"Hey Allie" Boomer greeted her as she lifted her tray for Allie to put the pasta onto. "Hey Booms, how's work?" Allie asked in light conversation, Boomer mumbling about how dirty the showers were and how she had to bend over in all sorts of flexible positions in having to clean it with Snortz. Allie chuckled to herself as she soon spooned up food to Doreen before her eyes dropped at her lover.

No words were exchanged between the both of them, just staring at each other intimately with smirks and winks. Maxine watched the entire engagement with a bright smile, one that seemed contagious and that she could not seem to lift up off of her face since being told of her remission. Maxine told herself that she needed to get into the line before Bea so that she didn't have to wait longer for getting her food, as it seemed that Bea and Allie could stare at each other for a lifetime, if given the opportunity.

As the girls took their seats down in the mess hall as they did everyday, Bea and Maxine seemed to be in deep conversation, but it was more of a whisper than a normal decibel level conversation. They were acting strange, and Allie knew something was up. She decided to let go of the whole paranoid girlfriend thing and trusted that her girlfriend was safe and knew what she was doing.

After what seemed like a lifetime, Allie had finally finished serving food to the inmates, before serving herself a plateful before going over to take a seat near Bea. Everybody except Doreen had left the table, and the mess hall was damn near empty by the time Allie had finally got down to settle with some food. "How are you babe?" Allie asked as she sat down and tucked a stray curl of hair behind Bea's ear.

"I'm good, better that I've seen you now though" the redhead smiled, Allie's heart swelling at the small compliment. "Hey Bea" Doreen said, interrupting their moment. Their heads cocked around to the woman who had plumped herself down at the edge of the table. She had an empty plate and stood up before saying: "I've got a small announcement to make to the girls tonight. Would you mind letting them know?" she asked, Bea nodding her head as her hand dropped down to stroke the inside of Allie's thigh.

"Of course" she said, Allie looking at Bea with a coy look once Doreen had left the table. "Don't start something you don't intend on finishing Ms. Smith" Allie teased, interlocking her fingers with Bea's hand resting on her thigh. "Did I say I wasn't going to finish it?" Bea smirked as she stood up and left the table, leaving Allie Novak, a very stunned woman.

"You ready, love?" Maxine asked as Bea came round the corner into the unit. Oh, the tattoo. Yes. "Yeah, I just need to collect my drawings that might help her" she said as she went back into her cell. A minute or so later she came out, notepad under the shoulder and nodded at the tall brunette to lead the way to H3. She was hoping that Mel would be able to come up with something and go above and beyond with the tattoo, but after all, she was in prison.

They took a slow yet steady walk to H3, passing some familiar faces on the way. As they came into the hallway into H3, Kaz greeted them politely before heading back into her cell. The fellow Red Right Hand members were nowhere else to be seen, apart from Mel who was slumped on a couch, adorning most of the space. Bea decided to take a seat across from her, the woman sitting up at Bea's prescense. "I've got a favour to ask you" Bea said shyly, Mel nodding. "What d'you need?" she enquired, Bea opening her notebook.

"You do tattoos?" Bea asked, Mel looking to the left and right for screws before nodding slowly. "I was a tattoo artist on the outside. Why, you want something done?" the short woman vocalised. "Yeah. I've got some inspiration, but I'm thinking like a seahorse with a cloud behind" Bea said, Mel nodding. "These are very good drawings you've got here. Didn't know you were an artist" Mel smiled, Bea blushing at the compliment. "Okay, I'll draw a few ideas up and get back to you. I've got my kit until the next cell toss. I'll do it for just a fifty I think" Mel offered, Bea agreeing. "Money's not an issue. Thank you" the redhead said as she stood up quickly to make a brisk exit out of H3.

Maxine and Bea came back to H1 to find all the girls hudded in the corner of the hallway, all sat down. This was presumably about the announcement that Doreen had to make, Bea mentally scolding herself for forgetting to tell everyone, not that it mattered now seeming that everyone was here. The redhead took a seat next to her girlfriend on the couch and slumped her arm around her shoulder, Boomer sat to her left. Liz and Maxine decided to both sit on chairs while Doreen stood in front of them like a religious pastor.

"So, I've told Liz, but I haven't had the opportunity to tell you guys. My transfer to Perth is in two weeks" Doreen said sadly, everyone looking shocked at how soon she was going to be leaving them. "So we've only got two weeks left with you Dors?" Boomer said, Doreen nodding. "It'll be a shame to see you go" Allie said, all of the women nodding and saying yes. "I've gotta do what's right for Josh and Nash" she said, Bea understanding. "We'd all do the same if we were in your position. We'll make sure you get a good send off" Bea reassured her, Doreen chuckling as she knew this usually meant alcohol.

"What'd you reckon you'd do on your first day of gettin' out?" Boomer asked everyone, silence dawning upon them as they all thought about what they would do. The older blonde, Liz, was the first one to speak. "I think I would go and visit the kids first, and take them out. Sort out my accommodation then and just work for a house" she spoke, Boomer chuckling to herself at what she would do on her first day out. "To be honest, I'd get pissed and try and pash someone at a club" she said, laughing, everyone joining in with her. "I don't know what I'd do" Allie admitted honestly, Bea surprised at her confession.

"I'd get a fucking burger" Bea stated, all of the girls cackling at her suggestion. "No" Bea smiled. "Seriously, a real burger. With all the salad, and everything" the redhead said, Allie nudging her in the ribs before leaning over to whisper in the shell of her ear: "I bet I'd taste better" she said seductively, Bea going a deep shade of red as she gulped and looked herself blindly at Allie. The blonde just giggled before putting her hand on Bea's thigh, just adding more flame to the fire.

"I think I'd just try and integrate myself back into normal life again. Just make sure that everything I was doing was nowhere near the chance of getting me landed in prison again" Doreen admitted, Liz enquiring about how Nash and Josh were. "I've spoken to them over the phone and I've told them about the transfer. His job is going well over there so it's enough to live off until I find a steady job and start providing for my family" Doreen uttered, smiling at the thought of coming home to a lovely home with people inside it that she could call 'my family'.

"It's kinda cute" Boomer said loudly, all of the girls laughing at her bluntness. "I remember that garden project like it was yesterday" Bea spoke, the women nodding. "I know, it was only two or three years ago as well. And then the Freak bulldozed it down" Doreen said, recalling the memory. "D'you think she still had the hots for you Dors?" Boomer cackled before Doreen grabbed one of the pillows off the couch and proceeded to lob it straight in her face.


	24. Chapter XXIV - In The Past

Chapter XXIV: In The Past

Franky drummed her fingers on the desk as she evaluated all of the evidence that she had managed to accumulate so far for Bea's case. She was amazed at how far she had come, even for her. She was taking on the biggest case in Australian history. She wasn't doing it just for her career, but for her best friend who had saved her life countless times on the inside. She was doing it for the woman on the other side of those bars.

As Jane came into the office with her regular smile, she hung her coat up and pushed a letter across the desk inside the office that she and Franky now shared. "Open it" Jane said, urging her on. Franky frowned at her, wondering what it was, when she saw the letters "MFCSS" printed on the envelope. It was Melbourne Forensic Crime Scene Specialists, the crime scene investigators company that evaluated the scene on behalf of Melbourne Police. Franky was now aware that due to the recent reforms last week, she was now dealing with Victoria Police, who dealed with crime as a state, no longer a city.

After flicking through Bea Smith's file and squeezing it like a lemon for any extra information, Jane and her had only managed to find gross negligence on behalf of the Correctional Services. That would not do anything to help Bea with the parole just on its own, and the tattooed brunette was aware of this. They both needed to find something that would be viable in front of the board, something that included rehabilitation and remorse on her part. Franky decided to bite the bullet before opening the letter.

Ms. Franky Doyle

31-33 Baker Street

Melbourne Legal Office

VIC 3002

Dear Ms. Doyle,

I have received your letter as of late, requesting a meeting with two of my employees on behalf of the Department of Justice and Regulation in Victoria. I understand the confidentiality for Ms. Beatrice Smith's case, and therefore I am not inclined to question on the matter. The office has contacted Victoria Police who have informed me that you have authorisation by that of the department to access criminal records and have authority at above commissioner level, and consequently, I will allow a meeting to commence on behalf of my company. Said employees, Mr. Benjamin Harris and Mr. Jonathan Rees will meet you at your workplace address at 31-33 Baker Street for your requested meeting time of 09:00AM on the 17th of October. Should you have any queries, do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Mr. Harold Santiago

41 Dividend Lane

Melbourne Forensic Crime Scene Specialists on behalf of Victoria Police

VIC 3003

"The CEO of MFCSS has agreed for us to have a meeting. It's going to be tomorrow" Franky smiled, folding her arms. "Well done, that's the first step. Remember, the first rule with being a paralegal, find any loopholes" Jane reminded her, Franky replying "Yes boss". Jane shook her head at the younger woman as she handed her a coffee that she had picked up on the way to work.

"Mocha, you know me too well Jane" Franky chuckled. Jane opened her file with a smile, looking at all of Franky's notes that she had managed to conjure up. "So, these are all the notes on Bea Smith's medical history" Jane asked, Franky nodding her head before taking a sip of her hot drink. "Yeah, there's a lot there for four years. It'll draw sympathy I reckon. If I'm honest, it's more than gross negligence" Franky said, shaking her head at disgust of the treatment of prisoners. "Well Franky" Jane began. "When this goes out to the parole board, the news will be on you like anything. They'll be interested in this sort of stuff. Public support will also help her, as the parole board will be more considerate of her case" Jane stated, Franky absorbing the information.

"But we need something else first" Jane warned. "You can't get too ahead of yourself. This case is going to take some hard work, and it's going to affect your personal life at home as well. The press will be bothering you twenty-four seven, and I hope you can handle it" Jane said, Franky nodding. "I know. All I want is to be able to try and get her out of there. She never gave up on me so I'm not going to give up on her" Franky smiled, Jane admiring her loyalty. "Right, well, you better start prepping your questions for the things you want to ask these two employees tomorrow. We can't go away with no questions unanswered" Jane said as she stood up from her chair to go and deal with the other paralegals.

A day later...

"Hello, very nice to meet you. I am Jonathan Rees and this is my colleague, Benjamin Harris on behalf of MFCSS" a man said as he was led into the office by the receptionist, offering his hand out to Jane and eventually Franky. "Nice to meet you too. This is Franky, and I am Jane. Take a seat" Jane said warmly. Jonathan was a tall bald man with a black suit and red tie whereas Benjamin was a small, stout figure with a navy blue suit and tie.

"So, me and Franky are both paralegals as you are most likely aware" Jane said chuckling. "We are investigating the case of Bea Smith, and it is understood that you were the two forensic officers who went to the murder scene of Brayden Holt" Jane asked, the two men both nodding their heads in unison to confirm. "Yes, we were asked by our boss to go and collect evidence that would be used by Victoria Police in the conviction against her" Jonathan affirmed, folding his arms, wondering what the two women were trying to achieve.

As Jane had asked this question, Franky had gotten up the piece of paper that she had been working on the previous day. She had wanted to find out as much as possible about their investigation, obviously not pinpointing anything on them. Jane had warned Franky to not ask any hostile questions, as they would be less willing to answers, or even more unhelpfully, give wrong and incorrect answers. They needed to get the real information, and as quickly as possible. Franky needed her friend outside of these bars.

"So, can I ask, who is your bosses name?" Franky said with a smile. "His name is Jackson Hillier. He is a supervisor at our firm. He has been for about ten years now" Benjamin replied, watching Franky eagerly write down this new information. "So, when you were called by your boss, what did he say in the briefing?" Jane asked, reading off of Franky's looming piece of paper.

"He told us that there had been a murder. Of course, we had seen it all over the news but we had to be briefed properly and professionally as we are every job. It is the company's protocol, given that we practically work for the police" Benjamin said, straightening his tie as he did so. "Right, so, what did they say?" Franky asked with a hint of urgency that was picked up by Benjamin's colleague.

"He called us into the office of where we work. He told us that our job for today was a murder scene and that we were to collect as much evidence as possible. We were told that as this was a case being undertaken by Victoria Police, our orders were to search the property for anything that could be used in securing a conviction against the assailant. So, that afternoon, we got there roughly at 3PM" Jonathan said with a shrug, struggling to recall the time.

"We were suited up and we went into the property. We were warned beforehand that there was a firearm on site and that we needed to collect it as well as the empty casings. I did the photographic work whilst Jonathan placed down the scaling meter. I took photos of all of my findings on the site" Benjamin recalled. The receptionist from the legal office then knocked on the door to office to offer coffee for everyone, to which she politely placed a tray down with four mugs, a kettle of hot water and some milk down before making herself scarce from this obviously important meeting.

"And what did you find?" Jane quizzed, wanting to get straight to the point. "Give me a moment" Jonathan said as he got out a folder with a piece of paper on it before handing it across the desk. "These were all our findings. We were told to report it to Commander Aaron Stewart of Victoria Police who was handling the case" Benjamin said as Jonathan closed his folder. Franky's eyes darted to Jane's. She knew that name from somewhere.

"Was there anything odd about Commander Stewart?" Franky asked, Benjamin and Jonathan looking at each other. "No, he just asked that when I reported the findings, I was to destroy my copy. However, it's against company policy to do so, so I continued as normal. I handed my copy which got passed up to my boss, Mr. Hillier" Jonathan stated, Franky writing down all of these notes.

"Did you have any contact with Mr. Stewart after?" Jane interrogated, Benjamin deciding to answer for his already baffled colleague. "Yes, he contacted our firm about three months after. He told us to congratulate us on our work and also to remind us to destroy the copy. I told a white lie and said that I got rid of it" Benjamin said before Jonathan interrupted his friend. "Speaking of which, he told me on the day that if he gave me some items and I put them in the scene and reported it, he'd give me and Ben a lot of money".

"Did you report this to your superior?" Jane asked, both of them shaking their heads. "He told us that if we did, he'd get us fired" Jonathan spoke, Benjamin nodding in agreement. "Okay, so can you talk me through the evidence file?" Jane asked, Benjamin taking the piece of paper and deciding to read it out so that Franky could take down notes.

"We found obviously, found the Beretta M9 that was used by Bea Smith. We found one exerted .45 casing, and no existing rounds in the magazine. We evaluated the gun and found that it was in fact used by her, as only her fingerprints are recognisable on the firearm. The autopsy revealed Brayden Holt died at the scene with one puncture wound to the brain. He was dead instantly" Benjamin stated, Franky writing this down.

"We found some interesting evidence at Brayden Holt's property however. We found a 1 millilitre needle full of heroin, as well as sixty seven grams of it packaged. We also found Mr. Holt's diary, and a letter with the initials, D.S. Yet, we did not see it as our duty to investigate further. That was the police's matter. We stocked up the evidence, which I believe, is due to be destroyed within six months of its two year lease at the station" Jonathan announced, Franky writing down all this information.

"Is it okay if we photocopy the evidence file?" Jane asked, both of them nodding. "Thank you very much gentlemen. We appreciate it" Franky said, offering her hand out to both of the guys before they left the room. "Okay, it seems like we're going to have to expand the team. We are going to need to get two police detectives" Jane announced, Franky smiling. "We need them to reassess the evidence" Franky asked, Jane nodding. "Great minds think alike. Call Detective Warner and Jones. They're the best I've worked with in anti-corruption" Jane said before she made herself scarce out of the room.

Franky got straight to the phone instantly to make a call to Victoria Police station. She dialled in the number quickly, before promptly waiting for someone to speak on the phone. "Victoria Police station, how can I help?" the friendly female voice said. "I need to speak to two detectives in the anti-corruption department. I am Franky Doyle from the Legal Office in Melbourne, and my authorisation number is 10583" Franky said, waiting to hear typing at the other end of the phone.

"Of course, and what are the names of the two people you wish to speak to?" the voice asked. "Detective Jones and Detective Warner, please" she asked, the woman telling her to wait on hold whilst she went to go and fetch them. About ten minutes later, a deep voice came from the end of the phone. "Detective Kevin Jones speaking" the voice said. "Hello, I am Franky Doyle. I am a paralegal working on a case on behalf of the Department for Justice and Regulation in Victoria and I require your assistance with a case that is quite high profile" Franky spoke.

"You will have to arrange this with my superior as I am currently working on a case and so is Detective Warner. So you'll hav- oh no wait, never mind. My boss is right here. You can speak to him" he said before passing the phone. "Deputy Commissioner Williams" another voice said. Franky was getting agitated at this point from being passed from person to person.

"Hello, I am in a need of your two detectives Warner and Jones. I have a level one clearance by the Department of Justice and Regulation that is above commissioner level for a case" Franky announced for what felt like the third time. "Let me just check...ahah! Yes. Of course. We'll get the paperwork done within the hour given the clearance. When would you like them sent to you?" the man asked. "Sometime today, if that is possible" she said. "Yes, absolutely. They will be over shortly" the man said before the phone was hung up and Franky was left to dwell in the silence that adorned her.

Two hours later...

After Franky had briefed Jane on the situation, they were both talking about the meeting that they had with Jonathan and Benjamin. It was safe to say that they were both shocked tat they had not reported the blatant corruption that could be seen so far on Aaron Stewart's account, however, they had no evidence. Jane and Franky had no evidence of his corruption. Yet. There was so much more to find out, and they both secretly hoped that having the two detectives with them on the case would be a blessing to them both.

The two men made themselves known by knocking on the office door and being led in by the receptionist. Both of their eyes lit up when they saw Jane sitting down. "Janey!" one of the men said, chuckling loudly. "Kev! It's nice to see you" Jane replied, embracing him in a hug. "Hey Steve" Jane said as she brought in the other man for a hug. "This is my colleague, Franky Doyle who spoke to you earlier" Jane said, pointing to Franky. "Nice to meet you Franky" Kevin said. Franky shook his hand as she turn to shake Steve's hand also.

Kevin Jones was a tall man, with a muscle like build. He had a bald head and a goatee, and wore a black suit and tie. Much like his friend, Steve Warner was also tall and muscly, yet he donned a buzzcut and a full beard, but was also dressed in black garments. As the introductions were made, Jane took it upon herself to explain what they were doing. "Now, there is no easy way to say this" Jane chuckled, earning a smile from Kevin. "You've said that before when we worked together" Kevin smiled warmly, Franky admiring the likeableness of Kevin.

"We are trying to free Bea Smith from prison" Jane blurted, Kevin's smile still on his face shaking his head, with Steve frowning. "The two-time murderer?" Steve said, Jane nodding with Steve now beginning to laugh. "You've taken on a challenge" Steve said. "It'll be the biggest case in Australian history but we need your help. We know that there's a corrupt officer in Victoria Police who hindered in the case against her" Franky announced, Kevin nodding his head. "Sure, I'm in. But she better be worth it" Kevin said, Franky smiling. "If you'd have met her in person, you wouldn't think of her like a murderer" Franky said, both of the men looking flabberghasted.

"We'll help. So, where do we start?" Steve asked. "Aaron Stewart is a commander at the station. He was in charge of the handling of the scene in Bea Smith's case, and he's very, very dodgy. We're going to need to look into his file at the station and have a look in the evidence department" Jane spoke. "Okay, no problem. So, what's been said already?" Kevin questioned. "Two busybodies of a forensic company hired by the police have told us that he offered them money to place things on the scene and to lie in court" Franky revealed, Kevin looking taken aback.

"We've got a money scrounging office up in the high ranks?" Kevin asked, Steve shaking his head. "If we find evidence, fuck.." Steve said looking at his feet. "No, it'll be fine. It'll show that you are willing to do your job. You're already used to fishing out the bad guys in the good guys ranks. He won't be any different" Franky reassured. "We're not going to be very popular at the station. Not that we are now" Steve said with a wry smile, Kevin scoffing.

"We'll be fucked. The high ranks will wreak hell upon us for taking out one of their own" Kevin said, shrugging his shoulders. "The commissioner is aware of this, and should you know, you'll be up for a promotion if this goes well" Jane said, the two men smiling now. "But!" Jane interrupted. "You will have to be in support of releasing Bea Smith in front of the parole board, and eventually in the court" she said, the two men looking at each other. Steve looked to both Jane and Franky before saying. "Looks like it's a challenge then" he grinned.


	25. Chapter XXV - Second Time Lucky

**Chapter XXV: Second Time Lucky**

Maxine waited patiently in the unit to be collected by a guard. She had managed to get herself in the front of the phone line two weeks ago, and had rung up her lawyer, Samuel Nixon, to discuss a possibility of parole with her. The discussion that the girls had got her thinking. She was going to have a life outside of these walls soon, and she needed to start considering it. Especially since her and Boomer had decided a few weeks ago that they were going to try for a baby.

Again.

However, this meeting had been up at the top of the list. She wanted to make sure that she could secure her freedom before trying to create a new life, but one thing she was sure about, was that she knew that Boomer deserved to be a mother. She was kind, protective and fiercely loyal, and had all of the qualities of a great mum. On the outside, she was a hard rock not to be kicked over by anyone, but inside, she was a big sook who looked out for her friends who she considered her family.

As she sat on the couch with Boomer, the other woman engrossed in a reality TV show, she didn't notice Linda Miles presence until she made it known by coughing loudly in the unit. "Conway, with me" she said, Boomer looking over to her in confusion. "Eh?" she said out loud. Maxine chuckled and just shook her head. "It's nothing worrying. I'll tell you when I come back" Maxine reassured her best friend, rubbing her shoulder. "Eh, alright" Boomer said with caution, looking at Maxine until she had exited the unit before turning back to her television show.

"Maxine Conway for you" Miles said as she opened the door to visitors room number two where her lawyer was waiting for her. Once she got rid of her previously transphobic lawyer, she had got with a new firm, who completely respected who she was as a person. Quite honestly, she was surprised with the amount of professionalism and respect they gave her, but after all, she wasn't used to much of that considering she was residing in a prison.

"Hello Maxine" Samuel boomed as he reached over the table to shake her hand. She smiled back in reply before shaking his hand and sitting down at the crimson red chair and black desk that was in the room. Maxine eyed Nixon's red dossier that presumably had all of her clientele information in, like her prisoner file. "So, you phoned me two weeks ago" he said as he flicked over a couple of pages in the red dossier.

"That's right" she said with an apprehensive smile. She didn't really know what to expect to be quite honest. She knew for a fact that she was going to get out of Wentworth one day, but the question was, when was that going to happen? She knew better than to expect anything in Wentworth, and therefore was expecting a straight-up no, and that she'd have to go and serve her full sentence.

"So, you are looking to apply for parole, correct?" Nixon asked quickly before looking at her and then turning back to the dossier. "Yes, hopefully" she said with a hint of nervousness and anxiety. "Well, I have some good news and bad news, if that makes sense" he reassured her as he picked his eyes up from the dossier and turned to look at Maxine.

"Bad news first I guess?" Maxine chuckled in an optimistic fashion before Nixon linked his hands together on the top of the black desk that they were both sitting on opposite sides of. "Due to the nature of your crime and the sentence you were given, it is not liable for you to be legible for parole any time in the near future, as I am sure you were expecting" Nixon shrugged, Maxine nodding in understanding.

"I mean, your crime has been detailed as aggravated assault, and the fact that it is aggravated complicates things. It suggests to the parole board that a person is dangerous and a harm to society. It is a more detailed crime than your standard assault, and therefore, it needs a more detailed and measured response in terms of parole and sentence" Nixon explained to her with his knowledge of the Australian justice system, especially in Victoria and Melbourne.

"However, there is good news" he said with a wry smile. "Yeah?" the tall brunette asked with a smile and upright posture. "As your lawyer, it's my duty to fight your case. And, if I look at this here, you've had no reported incidents that have been filed against you, apart from the riot that happened about a year or so ago, however it says here that that was dropped, and therefore, technically and legally speaking, you have a complete clean record" he beamed, closing his file. "So, how long do you reckon it will be before I will be allowed to apply for parole?" she questioned, eager to know the answer.

"I give it an estimate of two to four years" he grinned, Maxine nearly wanting to punch the air with excitement. "That's amazing" she smiled, folding her arms. "Well, if you'd like, I can start building your case now, and when the time comes, we'll have a strong case that is so persuasive the parole board will have no option but to release you on account of your good behaviour" Nixon said, standing up. "However, Maxine" he warned just before he went to leave. "You need to keep yourself out of any prison drama and gossip. Don't get anything that can damage your parole, otherwise you'll make my job a lot more harder, and you might have to wait even longer to be set free" he explained, Maxine understanding.

"I see you as a good person, but the parole board only sees a prisoner and their recorded history. You need to remember that. Show them that you are good enough for release" Nixon said as he exited the room. Smiles came into the room and instructed Conway to leave the room and to come with her. Doing as she was told, she was desperate to get back to the unit and tell everyone of the good news.

"Is a ghost pulling your cheeks up or are you meant to be smiling that much?" Allie teased Maxine as her and Bea both came out giggling of Bea's cell. "I'm ecstatic" Maxine said with mock sarcasm, which was ironic in itself. "I got some really good news from my lawyer. Like, really good news" she said, almost dancing with excitement. "How'd it go? You're not in trouble are ya?" Boomer asked as she came round the corner with Doreen and Liz.

"No. My lawyer reckons I can be out of Wentworth in two years!" she shouted, everybody yelling in congratulations, especially Boomer who had wrapped the taller woman in a bear hug and refused to let go. "I'm so happy for ya!" Boomer said as she felt a stray tear come down her cheek. This would mean that they would be able to have a child after all, and that she could be a mother. However, more importantly, it meant that her friend was going to be out of here, and that was more significant to her than anything.

"So, we better plan for this baby then, yeah?" Maxine said in a loud whisper, everybody nodding. "We need a different way to get it in this time though" the tall brunette warned, knowing that last time obviously did not work as it was not at the correct temperature for Boomer to reproduce. They needed to be precise. "Well I, uh, I got the blob now and I uh, I got it real bad" Boomer said, a mixture of laughs and grimaces going around the girls.

"Booms, you don't have to be that detailed" Doreen cackled as she went to go over and sit on the couch. "She's so fucking funny" Allie laughed into Bea's ear as the redhead shook her head in disgust. The young blonde made her way across to go and sit by Doreen on the couch. The other women promptly joined them, taking seats at the table. "You'll need a screw" Bea offered to Maxine who promptly nodded her head. Allie winked at her which went unknown by all the other woman. Allie was rewarded by a deep flush of red that was displayed on Bea's face.

"Smiles" Liz and Doreen both said at the same time. "But how will she get it?" Boomer asked, Maxine deciding to answer on behalf of everyone else. "My friend Gary can get in contact with her and give her the container as well" the brunette said. "You'll need a syringe as well" Bea warned, Maxine taking a mental note as well. "Well I guess that me and Bea will go and ask her tomorrow. She'll do it I reckon, if I give her enough money" Maxine said, everyone nodding.

"Let's hope that it goes well" Liz said, rubbing Maxine's shoulder. "I reckon Booms will be a great mumma" Doreen reassured, Boomer's cheeks going red at the compliment. "Yeah well, I'll protect bubba til' the day I die" the woman said. "You're such a big sook at heart, Booms" Allie laughed, earning a playful punch from her. "So, what rules are you gonna set out for the bubs?" Bea asked, Boomer thinking for a moment, Maxine chuckling at the hard thought that she was entailing.

"So he's not gonna be allowed to drink until he's thirty" Boomer announced, all of the girls laughing. "So, he's gonna be a mumma's boy then?" Liz asked, Boomer nodding with great emphasis and enthusiasm. "How do you know it's a he?" Allie asked inquisitively. "We don't!" Maxine laughed loudly. "You need names" Doreen warned, having gone through the experience of motherhood herself. "I'm thinkin' Jackson after Mr. Jackson cos he's hot!" Boomer exclaimed, everybody laughing hardly now.

"Hey, Ms. Miles!" Maxine shouted down the corridor, getting the attention of the blonde as she turned to the infamous redhead and the tall brunette. "What is it?" Miles asked in a urgent tone. She didn't want to be caught cavorting with prisoners, and she certainly didn't need a trail to the dirty deeds that she did on a regular basis here at the prison on behalf of its residents.

"We need you to do something for us" the redhead said in a hushed tone. Miles quirked her brow at both of the women before turning to Conway. "We need you to smuggle some sperm in with the container and a syringe" Maxine said before Miles scoffed at her. "A syringe? Are you fucking kidding me?" she laughed in a sinister tone before Maxine cut her off, not in the mood for games.

"It's not as if I'm going to put it in my arm, is it?" Maxine said, Miles realising that she was right. Her softened facial expression enticed Maxine to pressure her with more questions. "How much?" she asked bluntly, Miles looking left and right before turning back to the two women. "I want two-fifty" she said before trying to walk away. Bea grabbed her arm and was frowned at greatly by the corrupt prison office before Maxine placed a scrunched up note in her hand.

"My contact Gary, his number is there. He will give you the money and the things that I want" Maxine announced, Linda nodding in understanding. "I'll give it to you after count when I go to collect it" Linda reassured as she walked off. Bea squeezed Maxine on the shoulder before the pair of them walked back to the unit, ready to tell the rest of the girls how well the plan was going so far.

"We've had complaints from the women that they want work duties to be unit organised again" Mr. Jackson said in their weekly meeting that Vera, Bridget and him had. "I think it would be good Vera. It helps the new prisoners integrate with the existing ones much easier" Bridget agreed, Will nodding his head. "Yes, but it also encourages more criminal activity" Vera said, her argument weakening with more and more of her co-workers opinions. "The drugs have gone now, and so have the reports given on prisoner files by guards. I think we should give it a go" Bridget shrugged, Vera putting her pen down. "Okay. I'll go and make the announcement, but you have to do the paperwork!" Vera said, pointing to Will who just chuckled.

"Oh shit, here comes Vinegar Tits!" Boomer exclaimed loudly as all the women darted their eyes to the double doors that the governor now proceeded out of. "Listen up!" she shouted, which was not really necessary considering that she had already gotten the attention of all of the women in the mess hall. "Your work duty now changes. Your unit will be assigned a work detail, and you will do it with the rest of your fellow inmates!" she yelled loud enough for people to hear her on the other side of the walls. All of the women started whooping and cheering at this new announcement, as she made herself scarce when Linda Miles told the women to settle down.

Bea shoved in a forkful of pasta when she looked over to Linda who gave her a knowing smile. She had collected the package that Maxine wanted, and she was going to deliver it that evening. She nudged Maxine gently in the ribs and nodded over to Miles who gave her the same knowing smile. "I guess we'll try tonight then" Maxine offered, Boomer agreeing. "I've just come off, that's when it's the best time for a baby, eh?" Boomer asked, Doreen nodding to her and smiling.

A few hours later...

Miles came in shortly after evening count with a blue box in hand and her keys for the unit. The gate made a beeping sound as she opened it. "I never envisaged I'd be doing this" Miles scoffed as she dropped the box that supposedly had everything that Conway wanted. "You got the money?" Maxine asked as she picked up the box. "Yeah, all safe and sound" Linda smiled as she locked Conway back inside of H1. "Pleasure doing business with you" Maxine smiled warmly as Linda shook her head to continue her rounds.

Maxine gently knocked on Bea's cell, startling both Bea and Allie who had presumably been up to something. Maxine just smiled at their open-ness as Bea opened the door a quarter of the way, topless but with a bra on. "Sorry Maxi, give me a second" she said, red cheeks flaring up the same colour as her hair. Allie just giggled from inside as Bea closed the door for a moment, presumably to put her shirt on. Both of the women made their way out of the cell where Maxine greeted them, box in hand.

"Is that it?" Allie asked as she pointed to the box. The tall brunette just nodded as Boomer came out of the cell, obviously due to their loud conversation. "You ready?" Maxine asked, Boomer nodding and rubbing her hands together. Inside the box was a black insulating material. The temperature inside was the same as core body temperature, and therefore perfect for insemination.

Inside of the box, Maxine picked up the test tube that was full of sperm and got the syringe. Bea collected the syringe from her friend and managed to accumulate all of the sperm from the test tube before placing the syringe back into the box and the top back on. "Remember what we said, Booms" Bea warned as she handed her the box. "Yeah, I remember" Boomer said, Allie creasing her forehead as the girls had had to go into specifics about how to put it in properly. "Legs up!" Bea and Maxine both said as Boomer left the main corridor.

The three of them patiently anticipated outside, asking Boomer how well it was going from outside of the cell. "Oh fucking hell, this syringe is bigger than last time!" Boomer exclaimed from the inside of the cell, making the trio laugh uncontrollably. "I don't know what she was expecting" Maxine cackled as Bea and Allie both joined in. "I'm just glad we aren't in the room" Allie said quietly, not quietly enough for Boomer not to hear.

"I heard that!" she shouted, all of them laughing as they waited and waited for Boomer to confirm that it had gone in with no problem. "Remember Boomer, leave absolutely nothing left! You need to put it all in. Smiles doesn't want to be collecting any extras when she comes tomorrow" Bea said through the door. "Yeah, okay Bea" Boomer said in a strangled voice, obviously in position.

"What if we get a cell toss?" Allie quizzed, Maxine looking worried. "Then we're fucked" she chuckled with a hint of realism. "As long as its in, they can't force her to get an abortion. They'll have to deal with it" Maxine shrugged. "I've got it in Maxi!" Boomer shouted, loud enough for the whole of the prison to hear. "Have you got the sperm in?" Maxine asked in a hushed voice. "Be quiet Boomer, otherwise a screw will come" Bea warned. "No, I've only got the syringe in" Boomer said bluntly, Allie having a hysterical fit of laughter.

"It's taken her THAT long?" Allie giggled, Bea soon joining her. "Oh wait, it's all in Maxi! The spoof is in!" she said, loud enough for the girls to hear but not for anyone else. "Good, now remember" Maxine said before continuing. "You need to keep your legs up practically all night so get comfortable! We need to make sure that this goes to plan, otherwise we've wasted the second to last opportunity that we'll have!" Maxine warned. "It's fine Maxi, I'll be fine. You go to sleep, I'll see you in the morning" Boomer said, all of the girls laughing to themselves. "She's quite a character" Allie said, Maxi and Bea both agreeing.

"Well, here's to me and her maybe having a child" Maxine laughed as she stood by her cell door. "I am worried it won't work" Maxine confided in a whisper. "It will. I can assure you" Allie smiled as she rubbed the tall brunette's shoulder. "Well, I can only hope, right?" Maxine said before Bea stopped her. "You won't need hope" the redhead smiled before they left her to get some sleep.


	26. Chapter XXVI - Corruption

**Chapter XXVII: Corruption**

Steve and Kevin came in five minutes early to the arranged meeting time that Jane had told them in advance about three days ago. After the two detectives had joined the team, it made things a lot easier for Jane and Franky as the load and pressure of the case was shared between the four of them. The two men were enthusiastic, which incredibly boosted morale, especially when they had to accept setbacks like not being allow to visit Victoria Police station until the commissioner had authorised it.

Nevertheless, the two men were as eager to get to work as Franky, who was desperate to make sure that Bea got out of prison. As Jane prepped a whiteboard for them, Steve and Kevin were both discussing the latest gossip at the station, as Franky looked over her notes once more. She had a habit of doing that nowadays, always wanting to make sure that she knew everything in preparation for whatever Jane had in store next. Even though Jane was planning most of it and leading Franky through the way, it was going to be down to the tattooed brunette to pitch everything to the parole board and eventually the court, if it got that far.

It was going to go that far.

Jane had told Franky countless times that the best tool you can have in the legal profession is confidence and certainty, and this comes with practise. She had told Franky that once this case was out of the way, Franky would be able to nail any legal case that was handed to her. For now, the confidentiality of the case was at the highest. Their fellow colleagues at the legal office did not even know the significance of the criminal case that Franky and her were dealing with, and they wouldn't know, until it appeared on the news.

"Okay, so as you know, I rung up Victoria Police station about a week ago. I got a call three days ago telling us that we are practically being given an all-access pass given our above commissioner status given to us by the department" Jane announced, the two men who were conversing were now silent, copying down notes of things that Jane was saying. "Now, as I have been told and as it is stated in the prisoner report, Bea Smith firmly believed that Brayden Holt killed her daughter, who we know by autopsy, died of a heroin overdose" Jane said darkly, Franky grimacing as she recalled the time.

"We need to investigate to make sure that he did not murder her daughter, and that it was in fact her willingly taking a heroin overdose. However, on the flip side, we are looking for anything that may suggest that he did. So, Kevin, Steve, I want you to go to Bea Smith's property that she still owns. I want you to go to the neighbour's property, and see if you can take a witness account of anything that has happened. Anything will do, it's just to affirm that she did or did not have any reason to go and commit the second murder. Brayden Holt is our focus point at the moment, we will work on his mother later" Jane ordered, the two men nodding before Steve decided to ask a question.

"Where is the address of Smith's property?" he pondered, Jane in her infamous knowledge responding quickly. "23 Cromwell Avenue. Remember what I said gents, we need to make sure that we get as much evidence as possible that is going to help us in our case" she warned, the two men rapidly scribbling down notes. "Now, me and Franky are going to investigate Victoria Police station. We are going to be looking in the evidence department for anything that will help us in before prison and also during her stay at Wentworth. Loopholes are the key, anything that doesn't add up, we need to report and look into. As we've got two anti-corruption detectives on our side..." Jane smiled. "-we shouldn't have a problem at the station.

The three of them nodded before Kevin collected his coat and followed Steve on the way out. "I'm glad we have them on our side. They're shortening the time for us massively" Franky said as she packed her notepad away before putting on her black trench coat on top of her green shirt and jeans. "Let's go then" Jane said as she opened the door as Franky led the way out into the car park.

"My car or yours?" Franky asked as Jane gestured over to her car. It was a black sedan, not a cheap one either, which was to be expected seeming Jane's position at the firm meant that she wasn't going to be earning petty wages. She unlocked it with ease before the two of them sunk down into the leather seats before she turned her keys in the ignition before driving off onto the main road on the way to the regional police station.

"Straight up this road and turn right" Kevin uttered to Steve as they were on a wide residential lane. Steve could tell by the houses that surrounded this area that this was only for the really rich or those who had a fair amount of income coming into their households. "She must be loaded then" Steve said with conviction. Kevin just laughed at his best mate as he followed this instructions and turned right around the corner.

"23...23...23" Kevin said under his breath as he was looking out of the window. "We're definitely on the right road, yeah?" Steve asked, Kevin nodding. "Said it as we turned round the corner" he smiled as he spotted the blue door with the numbers 23 on it in gold writing. The grass on the lawn was a little overgrown but it seemed that even from inside prison, Bea Smith was not doing bad for herself.

"Okay, let's go and ask the neighbours at number 25" Steve said, Kevin nodding as the two of them stepped out of Kevin's grey coupe. The two of them, Kevin in his charcoal suit and Steve in his black garments, the two of them prepared their ID as they knocked on the door to number 25. Kevin and Steve both looked at each other with adhering confusion when the door was not answered within the first knock.

"The car is here" Steve said, Kevin shrugging his shoulders. Kevin decided to knock on the door a lot louder this time, which found them luckily, with the next door neighbour. A young woman answered the door with a shocked look on her face to find the two men donning suits standing in front of her. "Can I help you?" the woman asked nervously, wanting to know what sort of person would want to be bothering her.

"Hello, I am Detective Steve Warner and this is my colleague, Steve Jones. We'd like to come inside and talk to you, if that is alright?" Steve introduced himself with a friendly tone, knowing that the statement would come as a shock to the system, but the woman was more likely to let them in a be co-operative if he spoke in a friendly and calm tone. "What is this about?" the woman pondered, Steve looking over to Kevin as if it was his turn to speak.

"Were you still residing here when Bea Smith lived in that house?" Kevin asked, pointing over to the neighbouring house. The woman nodded, deciding not to ask anymore questions, and gestured for them to come inside. The two men offered that gesture and stepped into the hallway of the house before being led into the front room by the woman. "Would you like a cup of coffee?" the woman offered, the two men offering as she went into the kitchen that adorned the next room.

The house was well furnished with a state of the art TV, mahogany furniture placed strategically all around. The woman must have a well-paying job, the two detectives both mentally sussed. They had been told in their training to evaluate everything mentally, because if anything happened, they'd need to be able to recall and recite it at ease within statements. They needed to make sure that this woman was going to be a credible source for their investigation.

She came back shortly, with two coffees in hand for the two men. She sat down and crossed her legs nervously. "So, we'd like to ask you a few questions, if that's okay?" Kevin said, the woman nodding profusely. "We'd like you to tell us as much as you knew about Bea Smith and her family, and especially about her daughter's boyfriend, Brayden Holt" Steve said, getting out his notepad and getting ready to write down notes.

"So, this is it" Jane said as Franky and her exited the car to walk into the police station. As they walked up the short steps to the reception, the woman at the desk had asked for their names before she checked it against the database, just wanting to make sure that they were who they said they were and they had clearance to go into the evidence department in the station. The woman from the desk them stood up and led them through a narrow corner where they turned right, down another corridor to a blue door that said "Evidence Filing" above it engraved in a silver plating.

"Here you are. Feel free to go wherever you like, however, you'll need these gloves" the woman said, pointing to a dispenser of white latex gloves in the corner, "and you'll need to fill out a report by saying which things you have inspected. This includes the file number it is in and the specific article that you would be looking at. There's a computer in the corner also" the woman said with a smile, leaving them with a clipboard and a form on it, as well as a pen.

"So, we're going to have to find out what file number her evidence is in. Let's look on the computer" Jane advised, Franky nodding as she waltzed over to the chair and computer. "So, make a start by typing her case number in the corner, which is?" Jane asked Franky, knowing the answer but knowing that the younger woman would have to be able to recite information with confidence and conviction when she was in court, defending Bea's case.

"Case 43543" Franky smiled as she typed it in. The words: "Beatrice Alice Smith" appeared on the screen, with a mugshot of Bea and her crimes listed. Aggravated assault, attempted murder, manslaughter and murder. Franky's smile dimmed as she realised how absurd it would sound to an outside to try and get a multi-murderer free from prison. However, it was a case that Franky was happy to take, given that she knew Bea personally and didn't see her how everyone else did when they read the media on newspapers, the TV, and on the internet.

Jane smiled back at her, not in amazement but in joyous shock. As Franky looked over, and scrolled down lots of information, she saw the file number for evidence seized. "It's file 51" she recalled, Jane walking over to the corridors of lockers and trying to find the number 51 on. "Ah, here" she said as she grabbed herself a pair of white latex gloves and gave some to Franky. "So, you revised what is on the evidence list?" Jane asked out of curiosity as she opened the locker. "Yeah, heroin needle and bags, Brayden's diary and a letter as well as the firearm and bullet discharged" she said as they took a peek inside of the locker.

"So, I knew for a fact that her husband pushed her around a lot. She always had a bruise on her eye or a mark on her arm. I'd even gone round there when I moved in, and her husband opened the door stinking of alcohol and told me to fuck off. On various times, I have actually called the police because I have heard her being hit or even worse. There was rumours going around the estate that he raped her on a regular basis, but it was just rumour. I've seen him beat her out in the street before" the woman said, Kevin writing down notes and Steve interlocked his fingers and began to ask more questions.

"So, what do you know about Bea Smith being arrested?" Steve asked, stroking his chin as he did so. "All I heard was the police sirens from the cars and I kept my door shut. Again, it was just rumour. I found out that she had apparently tried to murder her husband and was going to be sent to prison for it, although, I wouldn't blame her. He was a fucking prick" the woman reasoned, Kevin rapidly scribbling at this point as this was very good categoric evidence that was detailed and would be able to be used in court.

"Okay, so do you know anything about Bea's daughter, Debbie?" Steve asked, the woman thinking for a moment before deciding to speak. "Yes, she was a bright and smart intelligent girl. She was very nice to me when I spoke to her. Bea had spoken to me on the odd occasion when I mentioned her daughter, just to tell me that her daughter was going to study law at university after school" the woman smiled as she recounted the memory.

"But Debbie went off on the wrong path, her dad did nothing. She got involved into drugs, that was because of her boyfriend, Brayden his name was. She mentioned him to me a few times when we spoke, but she was mostly pinned. I told her that she should stop the heroin and focus on school, but I got a response telling me that it was none of my fucking business. She was high at the time. But when she was sober, she told me that she was absolutely in love with Brayden and that she'd do anything for him. I reckon the girl would be alive today if it wasn't for him" the woman said, shrugging her shoulders.

"So, Brayden got her onto the drugs?" Steve asked, the woman nodding to confirm. "Yeah, I mean, what sort of a boyfriend does that?" the woman questioned, both of the men looking at each other, knowing that they had found a loophole. "I need to ask you something, a favour even" Kevin asked as he gave his notepad to Steve. "Yeah?" the woman asked as Kevin stood up. "Can I have access to your CCTV that you've got outside?" Kevin asked, noticing the camera pointing towards the direction of 23 Cromwell Avenue's drive. "Sure" the woman said as she led Kevin into the garage to give him the CCTV.

"What was the date of her death, Steve?" Kevin shouted through the corridor before getting a response. "I think it was the 21st of April at 7:51PM" he called back, Kevin flicking the CCTV back to the date. "Okay, okay" Kevin said to himself as he flicked to half six. There, he saw Debbie leading Brayden into the house holding hands. About an hour and a half later, Brayden was walking away from the house, looking back multiple times before getting in his car and driving off.

"We've got it!" Kevin exclaimed, saving the footage. "We are going to need to seize this as evidence. I'm also going to ask you, is it possible that you would act as a witness for your witnessing of Bea Smith's abuse by her husband in court?" Kevin asked as nicely as possible, wanting to get co-operation. The woman nodded and smiled as Kevin took the CCTV console under his arm as he nodded to Steve that they needed to leave.

"Brayden Holt killed Debbie Smith. We've got it on tape" he said once they got in the car, the two of them high-fiving as they drove back to the legal office.

"Half of the stuff that's listed by the crime scene investigators is not here..." Franky said, worriedly. "We have a corrupt officer then" Jane smiled, Franky knowing straight away who they were speaking about. Aaron Stewart had filed the evidence, but where was it? The heroin and needle, the diary and the letter were all not there. Just the firearm. "We need to find an incentive" Jane said before getting interrupted by a call on her phone. After picking up, Jane squealed with excitement after being told of Steve and Kevin's revelation.

"What's this?" Franky asked in a state of confusion. "They've found video evidence that corresponds with Debbie's date of death. Brayden Holt entered the property and exited in the time slot that she died of an overdose. Those crime scene investigators are going to need to stand up for us in court then" the older woman said, Franky smiling after knowing that they had found an incentive for Bea to commit that terrible murder. But something hung in the back of her mind.

"That's one thing out of the way, but we need to find the evidence first. And we need to find an incentive for Jacs Holt's manslaughter" Franky said, still self-conscious. Jane rubbed her shoulder to try and comfort her before saying: "Don't worry kid. We'll find something. We've found the needle in the haystack, so if we've done one, we can easily do the others. Keep faith. If you don't, Bea won't keep hers" Jane warned before the two of them decided to make themselves scarce out of the evidence department after filling out a form, and making their way back to the legal office to speak to Steve and Kevin about what their next step was.

Franky didn't know what it was, but it seemed like this case was going at extra slow speed. Nothing seemed to be getting done as fast as she would've liked, but she knew that it was only going to get worse when it got to the court and the parole board. Keep faith, she reminded herself. If she was going to be one of Australia's top lawyers making history, she needed to keep faith and keep trying, against all odds, and that's exactly what she was going to do.


	27. Chapter XXVII - Justice Will Prevail

**Chapter XXVII: Justice Will Prevail**

Steve and Kevin sat at their desks inside the legal office, patiently waiting for the arrival of Jane and Franky. What they'd uncovered was a goldmine. Police had managed to neglect this information, which could have been critical in lessening at conviction for Bea Smith's murder of Brayden Holt. They were flabberghasted themselves; how the police was unable to find this information shocked them but they knew that it was someone in the police, someone with an ulterior motive.

Jane and Franky practically burst in the doors, eager to tell the men of their findings also. After they had sat down, Jane asked Steve to explain what they had found, given the brief details that she had been given on the phone. "So, the woman had told us that she witnessed Harry Smith beating her, and also, she knew that Debbie was going to go on a university course to study law. She'd been a good kid, the woman had said" Steve explained, Jane writing all of this information down on a whiteboard so that they could see a clear plan.

"She told me that Brayden came around and soon enough, she was addicted to heroin, which unequivocally, led to her death" Steve said gloomily, Jane writing all the information down. "We went to look at the CCTV and switched it to Debbie Smith's day of death, and low and behold, Brayden Holt was seen leaving the house between the times of death that the autopsy has predicted" Kevin announced, Franky and Jane both looking very shocked.

"So, we've actually got evidence that Brayden Holt murdered Debbie Smith, and that the police had neglected to find out this information due to a corrupt officer, and this in turn, has actually biased the conviction of Bea Smith and her life without parole sentencing" Jane said, looking for some sort of confirmation. Kevin could only nod his head, Franky still with an open mouth in shock. "But, we still need things that are going to help us in our case to justify her killing of Jacs Holt. However, they are mother and son so there could be a connection yet" Franky offered, everybody in the room nodding.

"Okay, me and Franky also found out that some things that the crime scene investigators had found were not found in the evidence file, nor were they reported. I can only assume that it is the same corrupt officer who has hidden the evidence. So if that's the case, we need to find this officer and catch him with his hand in the cookie jar so to speak" Jane said, everybody in the room now fixated on getting rid of the mole in Victoria Police.

"Okay, so, our best lead at the moment is Aaron Stewart. His fishy dealings, as described by the crime scene investigators, is evidence of his misconduct. It's the best place to start. Kevin, Steve, I want you to go over to their place of work and take witness statements from them. This way, we've got statements set in stone that can justify a possible search of Aaron Stewart's workplace and also his home. We need to be able to execute this quickly, otherwise, he may destroy essential evidence that can be used in a conviction against him and help us manage to maintain a sentence reduction for Bea Smith" Jane commanded, everybody agreeing.

"Franky, I want you to go to Wentworth and follow up on Jacs Holt. I want a prisoner file and a list of visits. We need anything that can help us in finding a connection between the two, apart from the fact that they are family" Jane said sharply, wanting to get as much information as quickly as possible before it was destroyed. There was a sense of urgency ion this case, however, to Franky, it felt like it had been going on for forever.

"Sure" she replied, standing up to grab her coat as Jane announced that the meeting was adjourned. She had told the rest of the team that she was going to get authorisation from the board who could then pass it onto the police so that they would be able to break into Aaron Stewart's home. Of course, this would all have to be handled by Kevin and Steve's colleagues, the anti-corruption team.

Franky got into her green sedan that she'd bought the day after she was released from Wentworth, Bridget telling her that if she wanted to integrate on the outside and be able to get to work on time, she was going to have to buy a vehicle. Franky had already had a driving license before she came to Wentworth, but with all the years she had spent on the inside, briefly, she had to relearn nearly everything. But after a short while, it came back to her like second nature.

Bridget had just finished a counselling session with Kaz Proctor after being asked to by the governor. Vera had wanted to monitor Bea and Kaz's mental state, to make sure that they were both level headed and not being too pressured by the stance of top dog. Vera could not afford to have anyone else at the top, and therefore, she saw it fit to do all of the necessary things to make sure that they were both up for the challenge for taking control of the women and keeping order within these bars, which in an ironic sense, was Vera's job. However, every screw knew that to be able to control the prison, the prisoners have to control themselves.

She heard a buzz from her phone, and wondered who it could be. To her surprise, it was Franky.

Franky [13:01]: Hey Gidge, can you let Vinegar Tits know that I'm coming to Wentworth? I need to grab few files xx

Bridget chuckled at Vera's nickname, knowing that she shouldn't, before quickly typing out a reply.

Bridget [13:03]: No problem baby. What files are you after? I haven't got any appointments before two xx

Bridget waited a few moments before getting a reply.

Franky [13:03]: I'm after Jacs Holt's prisoner file. I need her visitors list as well xx

Bridget was typing out a reply before Franky sent her yet another message.

Franky [13:04] I need you to do something else for me. It's apart of my project xx

Bridget was concerned and confused at what Franky would want, and decided to verbally announce her thoughts.

Bridget [13:04]: What is it? I'll grab the files for you by the way. Meet me in my office xx

Bridget stood up to go to the monitoring department, walking down the corridor that stretched between her office and the governors. Before turning right, she turned left instead, going into the archives and finding a guard sitting there, monitoring the CCTV.

"Hello Ms. Westfall" the guard greeted her with a smile, spinning on his black chair where she returned the gesture before he sipped on his coffee and sprung back round to watch the CCTV as was his duty. Bridget picked up her phone to look at the tattooed brunette's reply.

Franky [13:05] Ah, the site of nostalgia! I'll tell you when I'm there. Maybe it's not a good idea to leave me with you in an enclosed room...;) x

Bridget just chuckled at the coy message that she had just got, the guard turning back to look at her. She just coughed, and decided to avert the elephant in the room. "Where is Jacs Holt's prisoner file and visitor list?" she asked, the guard turning around fully now. "Jacs Holt?" he laughed, Bridget giving a wry smile. "If you want to go ahead and look through dead prisoners files, that's your game" he said, pointing to the third stack against the wall. They were labelled A-H, Bridget knowing that Jacs would be at the bottom of the pile. After a small yet thorough search, she found the woman's file and visitors list.

"I may need to come back later" Bridget said, the guard shrugging his shoulders. Bridget peered at the woman's prisoner file, the woman that Bea Smith had murdered. She was old with straight blonde shoulder length hair, with a collection of wrinkles adorning her face, and a crinkled lip sneering at the camera. She looked like pure evil, and Bridget had seen it a lot of times. She opened up her phone once more to type a reply.

Bridget [13:08]: You better not be typing when you're driving. And don't be getting any ideas, this is my place of work xx

Bridget put her phone away before walking back into the direction of her office, awaiting her girlfriend's arrival to give her the files. She knew that it was to do with paroling Bea Smith, yet she was unaware at what Franky could possibly want off her in relation to it. She decided to not mentally ponder on the matter, and wait until her girlfriend arrived to set her mind at ease.

Jane was very lucky: she had not realised that in her clearance that the department had given her, she was able to do anything above commissioner level, and therefore, she could take a team of anti-corruption officers to lead the search. She decided that she would get Kevin and Steve's eyewitness accounts first, just to provide justification for raiding his home. She wondered how things were going with Franky when she decided to drive over to 41 Dividend Lane, where she'd also help in the assistance of getting the eyewitness accounts.

Franky arrived at Wentworth about ten minutes after she sent Bridget that text. After being frowned at by guards who recognised her straight away, regardless of the fact that she had been free for some time now. As she made her way up the stairs to the governor's office, seeing none of her friends from H1 on the way, she went straight up to Bridget's office, finding her engrossed in Jacs Holt's prisoner file. "Hey spunky" she reminisced as she came into the room, the older blonde's face lighting up at the sight.

Bridget went over to give her girlfriend a soft kiss on the lips before the two of them took a seat at Bridget's desk. "So, this favour you need to ask me?" she asked with a quirked eyebrow. "I need you to convince Vinegar Tits to get Bea counselling. If we want to get her parole, she needs to be seen to be doing something. I want you to record conversations you have with her, speak to her about Jacs, Brayden and Debbie. Above all, it will help her" Franky smiled, Bridget folding her arms. "She'll say no, like she did the first time" Bridget said, concerned. "Well a lot has changed since then, Gidge. Look at you and me" Franky said with her best puppy dog eyes.

Bridget tutted before agreeing. "Fine, I'll do it. But you owe me" she said suggestively, Franky winking back at her before getting back to business.

Jonathan Rees and Benjamin Harris came into their managers office, wondering what they'd done. When they saw Kevin and Steve there, they were a bit concerned. "Hello?" Jonathan said, taken aback. "Don't worry. No need to introduce yourselves. I am detective Kevin Jones and this is my colleague, Steve Warner. We are here to get your statements on Commander Aaron Stewart" Steve reassured them, wanting to make sure that they were composed when they gave their statements.

Franky had been having a very unsuccessful time trying to find anything that could help her in court. Jacs' prisoner file did show that she was a violent inmate, and it DID note about her possible grudge against Bea Smith, and how the correctional service suspected that when Bea Smith had a beating during the time of Jacs Holt being alive, they suspected that she had called it.

The only thing that Franky could twist with that is that if the correctional services had acted upon their suspicions by interviewing all of the inmates to get an possible eyewitness statement so that they could confirm their suspicions. Yet, she could say that if they had done that, they could've placed Bea into protection so that she would be safe from further beatings or manipulation. In other words, if it was not for them, Jacs Holt may have been alive. However, it said on Bea's prisoner file that she was never offered protection, and therefore, it would be gross negligence on the part of the correctional services.

Franky needed something else, CCTV maybe. She decided to get the CCTV from the mess hall of the encounters that Jacs had had with Bea, and see if she could pick up some audio. Bridget had supported her with this idea as they made their way to the archives for the second time this evening. She remembered, Bea got locked up sometime in February 2013. She didn't know the specific date, so that would mean that she had a two month time slot between Debbie's death and her being incarcerated. Bridget decided to be of a help to Franky, so the two of them split the months up.

Jane had seen Kevin and Steve exiting MSFCC's headquarters when she intercepted them. "Hey!" Kevin said, shocked at seeing her. "Hello yourself" Jane smiled, Steve folding his arms. "What have you done?" he asked playfully, Jane quirking an eyebrow. "I've managed to get permission to search Aaron Stewart's property. It's going to be happening tomorrow at 6am. So you'll have to be up early" Jane said. "Suits me" Kevin said as the three left the HQ to get back to the Legal Office to prepare in time for the raid tomorrow.

Bridget had had to go back to doing her appointments which left Franky as one woman down. Eventually, she duplicated the CCTV and decided to take it home to evaluate it herself. She was adamant that she was going to ge the footage that she needed, the footage that was going to help her set a multi-murderer free. She had been on the 8th hour of work when Bridget had told her that she needed a break. Yet her stubbornness had led her to be working til' gone midnight. Bridget had took it upon herself to let Jane know that Franky would be into work late tomorrow, knowing that her girlfriend would not be able to work properly with just six hours sleep.

Jane, Steve and Kevin watched on as the police had booted the door down to Aaron Stewart's property. Luckily, they had a commander on scene which meant that Aaron would be able to be arrested properly and would be able to be interrogated on suspicion of corruption. He lived in a nice area of Melbourne, called Bishops Road. He was residing in the 22nd house of the street, which had a freshly mowed lawn and a modern exterior. Inside was not too bad as he had a lot of valuable possessions.

As the trio managed to get their surgical gloves on to investigate, they saw Aaron being dragged out in just his boxer shorts, screaming and shouting abuse at the officers and how he was going to have their badges for this. They ignored him and just shoved him into the back of the police van where he continued to be aggressive. It was decided with all of the officers to wait until he had significantly calmed down before going back in to give him his clothes so that they could take him to the station.

Steve and Kevin had decided to take the bedroom, as it was the most likely place where any evidence would be stored. Jane decided to help, and saw an oddly placed painting before dismantling it off the wall. Inside, she saw a shelf containing a safe. "Goldmine" she said as the two men turned round and shouted for a drill. Within a few moments, one of the breaching crew came through with a drill to drill through the steel safe to try and get through without damaging anything inside.

Soon enough, the door fell off, and Jane was quick to grab whatever was inside. There was a plastic bag, and inside, was a small book with the word "diary" imprinted on the outside. There was also two bank cards in his name, as well as a one milliletre needle, a few bags of heroin, and a letter. As Steve and Kevin found out that the diary was the missing Brayden Holt diary, Jane looked at the letter. It was a letter from Debbie. "Fuck. This is a letter to Brayden from Debbie" she said as she got an evidence bag and placed it in.

"Brayden admitted to killing her in here. It says, it explains everything. Fucking hell" Steve said, shaking his head before also dropping the diary in the bag. "Well, looks like we've got a corrupt officer. We'll need to take this back to the station, this will sure as hell be used in the court" Kevin said, clapping his hands together before going to take the evidence bag. That was the least thing that they had expected.

Franky had finally found the videos that she was looking for. She had found the CCTV footage of Jacs provoking her in the mess hall. Bridget had congratulated her through text, but she didn't have time to reply. She had also found CCTV of Brayden meeting his mother. In said video, Brayden said that he would kill Debbie for his mother, but he'd never be in contact with her again. Jacs denied this, and said that he would come back, however, this was his last meeting with his mother. This could be used in a court of law, showing that Jacs had called the hit on Debbie.

Franky was not surprised. It was something that was in Jacs manifesto to go after someone who is vunerable and take something away from them that means the world to them. This in itself justifies why Bea murdered Jacs, and with the CCTV, it even backed her up further. All she would need is a few guard's recommendations and their eyewitness accounts to back this up. But it was a lead, and a good one.

As she turned to look at her phone, she noticed that Jane had left her a text.

Jane [09:44]: Stewart's corrupt. We found the evidence in a safe hidden behind a painting. Diary confesses to Smith's death, we've got a love letter too as well as class A's. Good finds, we'll speak when I see you at the office for 4.

Franky smiled, glad to know that things had gone well.

Franky [09:53]: I've found CCTV that will help us in both the reasoning for Jacs and Brayden. Could be used in court - very useful. See you for 4.

Franky put her phone away as she left the house to get in her car to get a coffee - she needed it.


	28. Chapter XXVIII - The Greatest Gift

**Chapter XXVIII: The Greatest Gift**

Two months later...

It was now evening meal and Allie hadn't seen much of her girlfriend, nor Maxine. She was usually a bit on edge but knowing that the taller brunette was with her, eased her mind a little bit. She was questioning why she hadn't seen her since the large gap between dinner and now, but she knew better than to start making assumptions. As she shoved a forkload of pasta into her food, she didn't notice Vera Bennett coming in through the doors to the mess hall.

The usual chatter and dialogue produced by the women was silenced when the governor came in, something that she had a habit of doing. Most people paid respect to her now for her good record and for the fact that she was indeed trying to do the best for the women and to try and make them rehabilitate and to become better people for when they were released.

"Is Maxine Conway here?" she asked, looking over to H1's table to find two seats empty. A mutter of "no's" went around the room before the governor left, holding a mysterious brown letter. "What was that letter?" Boomer interrogated, the rest of the girls shaking their heads in confusion. "God knows" Liz said before going back to engage in conversation with Doreen about her small child, Josh.

Boomer still looked bewildered and worried as she cared greatly for her friend, especially after she had had to go through the cancer ordeal nearly on her own before she admitted it to anyone else. Boomer was very protective of her friends, and fiercely loyal. "Have you seen Bea either?" Allie enquired, trying to seem as if it wasn't bothering her as much as it was. "No, but she and Maxi headed off in the direction of H3 after dinner so, they could be up to anything" Boomer replied, eating the rest of her food before taking a massive gulp of water from her cup.

Allie decided to eat the rest of her food without engaging in any conversation. She ate all the food off her plate before Boomer joined her in going back to the unit.

"Aah fuck!" Bea squealed as they made their way back to the unit. Bea had literally had her upper arm tattooed with a seahorse in blackwork style. It had a black and white gradient representing the sea behind it, with Allie's name writing in italics along the trunk rings. It looked stunning, beautiful, as Maxine had put it. But right now, Bea could only see the pain. Luckily, it was cling-filmed and the needle was sterilised. They had made sure of it.

"Oh Bea, she'll love it. Pain is just in your head, love" Maxine reassured, laughing at her friend's discomfort. "I fucking hope so" Bea chuckled, still wincing at the pain that she was currently enduring. "It's amazing though, I will admit" Bea said, turning to look at the artwork now adorning her arm. As they entered into the hall of the unit, they only found Liz sitting on the couch. "Where is everyone?" the redhead asked, concerned.

"Allie's in her cell, love. So is Boomer. God knows where Doreen is" Liz said as she fixated her eyes back to the television screen. That seemed to be the past time nowadays, apart from work duty. "Hey, Maxine!" Liz said, standing up, remembering meal time. "The governor wanted to speak to you. Not sure what about though" Liz said, shrugging. Maxine frowned at Bea which was shortly returned as the tall brunette took a seat at the dining table. Bea walked back to her cell to grab a long-sleeve shirt, not wanting to get slotted for getting a tattoo.

Bea wasn't even sure if it was against any rules, but she was not risking getting slotted again, she couldn't go away from Allie from more than a few hours. She needed Allie like she needed oxygen. As she stepped outside of the cell, Ms. Miles came above to escort Maxine to the governor's office. "Conway, with me" she barked, clearly not in the mood to be messed around. The tall brunette obliged with no problems before doing as she was asked and making her way to Vera Bennett's office.

"Conway for you, governor" Linda Miles said as she opened the door to the governor's office to find Vera sitting at her desk, looking reasonably calm as she held a mysterious brown envelope between her two fingers. "Yes, governor?" she asked politely, wondering what it was this time. "Sit down" Vera instructed, the woman in teal doing as asked. "I got this letter in this morning for you. I only think that it is right that you should open it" Vera said as she pushed the envelope across the table.

Maxine frowned at he until she saw the parole board's logo saying "Victoria District Parole Board" and the court's logo showing "Victoria Court of Appeal". Maxine knew straight away that what was inside the envelope on a piece of paper would tell her how long it would take before she was eligible for parole. Immediately understanding this, she shivered at the sight and neglected to open it. For a few moments, she shook the tears away from her eyes if it told her that she could not apply for parole within the near future, however, she prepared for the worst as she dug her fingers into the brown envelope.

Her lawyer, Nixon, had obviously done this for her and must've been trying to get in contact with her, and instead, did it without her approval. She wasn't bothered, and she knew that she needed to know the answer to how long she would actually be behind these bars. She pulled out the ice sheet white of paper infront of her and read it word for word, trying to delay the answer as soon as possible.

Dear. Miss Maxine Conway,

Your lawyer, Mr. Samuel Nixon, representing on behalf of Nixon's Law Firm, has presented the parole board with a case regarding your

sentence, and when you shall be eligible for parole. We have evaluated your case in great detail, and we have come to the following

conclusion which is imperative for you to know regarding your future. We believe in rehabilitation and forgiveness for all crimes, if

given repentance. The parole board is of the opinion that your clean record at Wentworth leads us to suggest that your crime was

simply a one-off occasion given your situation that was stated by the court as it is believed by the parole board that you are of the

gender orientation of transsexual, and to that your partner at the time, was not accepting of this. As you have no violent tendencies

as described and detailed by your record, it is of the parole board's perspective that you should be granted a parole hearing in

twenty four months of this date. Your lawyer is allowed to represent you at this hearing, and it will be granted, so long as the record

stays clean and you have no incidents within now and that given time slot. We hope that you are understanding of this verdict given

the circumstances.

Yours faithfully,

Mr. Harry Goldsmith,

of Victoria District Parole Board.

Maxine could not believe it. She was going to be allowed a parole hearing in two years. There was a future for her outside of Wentworth, and she thanked the heavens and the correctional services for it. Maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel, Maxine pondered. "Thank you so much, governor" Maxine said as she stood up to leave. "Well done, Conway. You deserve it" Vera smiled as Maxine grinned back at her before leaving the office.

Boomer had been busy in her cell, trying to figure out how this pregnancy test worked. It had been two months since she had put the sperm in, and after feeling cravings and feeling very hormonal, she was starting to wonder if she was pregnant or not. Deciding to try and not to get it wrong, she stepped outside of her cell, and asked Liz for help. "Lizzy" Boomer said in a whisper voice which was other people's normal speaking voice, she looked over.

The woman had a look of desperation as she nodded for Liz to come into her cell. The older blonde came in, obviously very confused as Boomer tried to explain her situation. "So you know we used Maxi's spoof, right?" Boomer said, Liz shaking her head. "Sperm, Boomer" Liz reminded her, with a hint of playfulness. "Yeah, whatever" Boomer dismissed, wanting to get straight to the point.

"I wanna find out if I'm preggers or not" Boomer confided, Liz folding her arms. "You have a stick?" Liz asked, suspecting that she knew what the answer was going to be anyway. "Yeah, Smiles gave it to us in that care package" Boomer reported, Liz shrugging her shoulders. "What do you need me for then?" Liz asked with suspicion. "I dunno how it works" Boomer explained with simplicity.

Liz laughed out loud at Boomer's audacity before the woman gave her a glare which almost reminded Liz of the last time that her and Boomer had come to blows. "Okay" she cleared her throat as she took the stick. "You see where this screen is, Booms?" she explained as if she was speaking to a small child but without the patronising tone. "Yeah" she said, staring at it with great concentration.

"When the screen has one line, it says that you aren't pregnant, okay?" she said, Boomer nodding her head vigorously to let her know that she had understood what she was saying. "When the screen has two lines, it says that you are pregnant and that you have a baby on the way" Liz smiled, Boomer taking the stick off her. "But what do I need to put on the stick?" Boomer asked, still a little confused.

"You need to wee on the stick" Liz said, Boomer cackling. "How does my piss tell me if I'm pregnant?" she said through laughs. "I'm not gonna explain the science to you Booms but if you want to find out then that is what you are going to have to do" she said, sharply. Boomer smiled briefly, knowing the seriousness of the situation. "But, I don't need a piss right now, so I dunno" Boomer said, shrugging her shoulders and giving Liz the stick back who put it back into its box.

"Wait until you need a wee, and then come back in here. Put the stick over the toilet, and wee on it. Then come and tell us the results" Liz ordered, Boomer nodding her head. "Come out here Booms" Liz said as she stepped outside of the cell. Liz walked her over to the sink and filled up all the mugs with a fresh cup of water. She ordered the younger woman to go and sit at the dining table as she filled up the cups.

After she came back with about eight mugs full of water, Liz told her to drink all of them. "What's this for?" she asked, as if completely oblivious. "That way, you'll need a piss more easily" Liz said, as Boomer nodded and brought the cups further to her. Maxine at this point came around the corner, with a grin from ear to ear that could split the sun in two.

"I uh" Maxine said with smiles all around. "I've been given two years for my parole hearing" Maxine said, Boomer jumping up into her arms like a child who just got the best birthday present ever and was thanking their mother. "Yes!" she exclaimed that could be heard from the other side of the prison. "So this means that I can start a life, for our child" Maxine said, hugging onto Boomer even harder.

"Speaking of which" Liz said as Boomer looked at her. "We need to do a pregnancy test. It's been two months" Liz explained, Maxine nodding her head. "But wait" Boomer interjected, wanting everybody to know about Maxine's good news before she went and did the pregnancy test. She would rather have everyone in a good mood if worst came to worst.

"We need to tell everyone about your parole, eh" Boomer said, Maxine rubbing her shoulder. "Okay. We'll do that then and then we can find out if it has worked or not, fingers crossed" Maxine said optimistically as Boomer went over to knock on Allie's cell door.

The redhead had made her way over to Allie's cell after Maxine had left to go and see the governor. She could only hope that she was okay and that she had not ended up in any trouble, but she knew Maxine too wlel, she was a woman who kept her tracks covered, and to be fair, given her current state, Bea didn't think that she would risk doing anything without confronting Bea first or for the fact that she was possibly expecting a child with Boomer.

As she opened the cell door, Allie turned around with a large grin on her face. "Well aren't you a sight" Allie chirped as she folded her arms and leaned on the wall. Bea had closed the door but was still leaning on it, her hands behind her back. "Hey" she said, pushing herself off the wall and staring herself blindly at the young blonde before her. God, she is just so perfect.

"I missed you" Allie confided, even though it had only been a few hours since the two had parted. "I missed you as well" the redhead said, Allie quirking a brow, taking this as an opportunity to take a jab at the older woman. "Is that so?" she said, teasingly. "Yes" she said as she stepped into Allie's personal space and winded her fingers and hands in Allie's gorgeous blonde locks as their lips connected and their tongues slided against another in perfect tandem.

Bea moaned as she opened her mouth even wider to allow Allie's tongue to have entrance, dominating the kiss. The blonde was responding in kind, making noises and groans of her own as she also tightened the grip on Bea's hips before pulling back to admire the beautiful woman in front of her. "I have something to show you" Bea smiled nervously as she took off both of her tops.

Allie frowned when she saw the cling film that was wrapped on Bea's left arm when she came to the realisation of what it actually was. Straight away, she fit the pieces together. After dinner, Bea had gone with Maxine to get a tattoo. "Come and have a look. It's still red" Bea explained as she pulled Allie over to have a look.

The blonde was absolutely overcome with love. She saw that the seahorse was finely detailed, especially for prison, and that it was a seahorse. She looked carefully, tracing the pads of her fingers lightly over the cling film so much so to try not to hurt Bea but to follow the lines of detail on the artwork. "It's...it's beautiful" Allie said, smiling at Bea, before she saw her name in italics, adorning the trunk rings.

"Oh my God" Allie said, tears coming to her eyes straight away. "I probably should have asked" Bea said, suddenly feeling nervous, stupid, as if she had gone too far. "No, it's absolutely stunning. Thank you so much!" she squealed, Bea circling her arms around her lover as they embraced in a hug. It was not long before their lips connected once more, seeking each other out. Allie pulled back quickly just to say "I guess you're stuck with me now". Bea just chuckled and replied, "Yeah, I guess I am". The two rejoined each other, basking in the intimacy, and as things were just getting heated, Boomer's loud pounding on the door broke the moment.

"Oi, come out here. Maxi's got something to announce. You better both have clothes on!" Boomer exclaimed, Allie hiding her face in Bea's neck laughing as Bea glared at the door. Trust Boomer to break the moment. Allie pulled herself away from Bea to hand her back the shirts that she had lost. Allie came out of the cell first, eventually followed by her girlfriend.

"Oi, is that a tattoo?" Boomer asked, noticing Bea's arm straight away as she had lost the long-sleeve. Bea just nodded as all the women except Maxine came over to inspect it, Boomer had obviously got everyone from their cells to come here. Everyone except Doreen was here, who had arrived shortly after Bea had came out of the cell with Allie.

"I'm getting paroled in two years" Maxine exclaimed, all of the women shouting and congratulating her with a hug. The redhead came over to give her the biggest squeeze and a small peck of her cheek. "I'm happy for you" she smiled as Boomer then decided to not beat around the bush and get on with the results. "Right well, Lizzy is gonna help me do this test thing" Boomer said, the older blonde being dragged into the cell.

"Right do as I said Booms" Liz could be heard from outside the cell, the rest of the women giggling. "Booms, I don't want to see that. I demonstrated earlier, I'm not looking" Liz said, Boomer whining. "But I won't know if I've done it right!" she complained, Liz trying to fight her corner. "Just piss on the stick, Boomer" Liz ordered, Boomer doing as promised as could be heard from outside the cell.

After a few moments, Liz could be heard engaging in small talk with the younger woman. "Let us have a look at the stick, Boomer" Liz said from inside of the door. "What does it say?" Bea shouted, not getting a response from either of them. "What does each line mean again?" Boomer asked, Liz now getting impatient with her. She hoped that if Boomer did have a child, she was not going to be this stubborn with them. A small line from Liz ended in a shouted response from Boomer.

"I'M PREGNANT!"


End file.
